Fernando Alonso has hailed McLaren colleague Jenson Button as the "best team-mate I've had" in Formula 1.

Alonso, a two-time champion, has previously partnered former world champions Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Jacques Villeneuve during his F1 career.

"For me, he's probably the best team-mate I've had," said Alonso.

"He is very fast. He is very competitive inside the car, always and in all conditions, but outside the car as well he is a very nice guy, a true gentleman, and also very committed to the sport. He's always running in the simulator, working with the team, spending whatever time is necessary with the engineers, being 100 per cent physically all year long.

"As a package I think he's the best."

Button, who will sit out 2017 with Stoffel Vandoorne promoted to partner Alonso, will become only the third driver in F1 history to start 300 GPs this weekend at Malaysia. Alonso himself is next in line having currently started 266.

"It's a big achievement," said the Spaniard. "When you reach 300 it means a few things: that you're very talented and for many years in Formula 1 you were delivering good results and the teams were always giving you the trust to race.

"When you arrive to Formula 1 it's one hit that you have in your career. Then if you win it's another one, but then if you stay for longer it means you keep doing a lot of good things. You keep committed, you keep physically 100 per cent, you keep racing at your best, and it's what he did."