Let's face it, it cannot be fun being the F1 equivalent of Comical Ali. Indeed, at the press conference that followed the announcement that Toro Rosso is to use Honda engines next season, when asked how his company expected to turn things around in months what it had failed to do in three years, Yusuke Hasegawa looked hard pressed to stifle a grin spreading across his face.

And at a time Fernando Alonso admits: "The lack of power is quite worrying for Toro Rosso next year", it seems strange, almost comical, to hear Hasegawa insist that his engine is almost at a decent level.

Yet that is what he claims.

"Since Monza, our package and engine performance is almost at a decent level," he said, according to Motorsport.com.

"It depends on the circuit characteristics," he admits. "Sometimes the Williams and Force India is quicker. Sometimes, Williams, Force India and Renault is almost the same level of performance. We could maximise the current engine performance in Brazil, which is encouraging.

"From a power point of view, we're a little bit behind the other engines," he adds. "We are closing the gap, but we're not there yet.

"This weekend, we've had no reliability issues which is very encouraging," he says, referring to Interlagos.

Indeed, Hasegawa insists that Alonso's performance in Brazil is clear proof of progress made this season.

"As a total package point of view, that was our position, where Fernando finished," he says. "We are quicker than Williams and we are almost the same level as Force India. It's a shame that we cannot overtake the Williams, but we are happy to protect the position from Perez."

With "decent" defined as being "of an acceptable standard; satisfactory", one has to ask, an acceptable standard for whom?