McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale has said that driver Lewis Hamilton can still catch Fernando Alonso to win the drivers' championship this season.

Hamilton is currently 47 points behind the Spaniard with nine races left, and Neale said that he is confident that the car is good enough to win.

"Mathematically, it is still possible, 25 points for a win and it doesn't take much to switch those," he said.

"We have got a quick car. Our car was in better shape than Ferrari at the last race. He is a fighter, he loves a challenge. He just needs a sniff of it and to feel that the team is behind him and pushing."

Hamilton has won two grands prix this season.