McLaren finally ended speculation about their driver lineup for the 2015 F1 season by confirming what we already knew about Alonso and finally solving the mystery of who would partner the Spaniard. Jenson Button.

McLaren signed Alonso several weeks ago but Jenson Button was only confirmed as late as Wednesday evening according to well placed sources. That means rookie Kevin Magnussen is without a drive but he has been retained by the team as a reserve/test driver.

Fernando Alonso rejoins McLaren after a dream and planned long term stay ended after only one season back in 2007. Alonso had a major falling out with team boss Ron Dennis but has been lured back too McLaren as the F1 outfit also renews an old engine partnership with Honda.

Ron Dennis didn’t hesitate to lure Alonso back too McLaren when he felt the two times world champion was looking leave Ferrari. Dennis is a decisive and pragmatic figure head, he sees in Alonso an unfinished partnership and also gets the best driver of his generation in the bag.

Dennis admits that the Alonso and Hamilton partnership “got away” from his usually unflappable control: “Lewis had immaturity. If you go along the line of who struck the first blow, I would say Lewis had his role to play in starting this process that escalated.” said Dennis who seemed to apportion blame onto his former protege.

Reports suggest that Alonso is on a three year contract with McLaren and has a performance clause with an option to leave should the team not provide him with a championship wining car by year two.

For Alonso there is a sense of unfinished business: “I didn’t achieve or deliver the best of myself, so now some years later you are more mature, you learn things, you understand things you didn’t at 25 and now I arrive to finish this thing I started in 2007. This was the first and main priority to come back. We spoke a lot during the year. We have been together at some dinners in some hotel rooms and we both understood that ultimately we both are extremely competitive and we love motor racing so much that sometimes we didn’t agree.” said Alonso.

Jenson Button has indicated he signed a two year contract: “We have both agreed that more than one year is a must. This is a new project and an exciting project. To be part of the legendary partnership between McLaren and Honda is not a one-year thing. I’m looking forward to more than one year. I’m here to compete and fight for the World Championship.” Said Button.

Ron Dennis added: “As a pair, he and Fernando are supremely experienced. Fernando has started 234 grands prix, has converted 32 of those starts to victories, has stood on a grand prix podium 97 times, and has won the drivers’ world championship not once but twice. He is a class act.

“I can safely say, therefore, that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver line-up of any current Formula 1 team.” exclaimed Dennis.