Honda can only get better, and this is great for Red Bull to become a factory team in a few years. This will also benefit the junior academy, opening avenues for their young drivers to compete in Super Formula, arguably the most competitive series below F1.
Surely McLaren would think long term and let Alonso go instead and be patient, because Honda will come good. On the other hand, Renault's Jolyon Palmer and Verstappen have had constant mechanical failures as a result of the Renault power unit, surely Renault isn't that much better than Honda?