Martin Whitmarsh is confident McLaren will prove over the next two weekends they have turned a corner following a stalled start to the new Formula One season.
McLaren have spent the last fortnight attempting to right the wrongs of a car that was a far cry from the race-winning machine they hoped they had unveiled earlier this year.
In the curtain-raising grand prix in Australia, Jenson Button and new team-mate Sergio Perez found themselves hopelessly off the pace in a car the team opted to radically revamp over the winter.
It was a decision that has badly backfired on McLaren, who are now chasing their tails in a bid to make up for lost time and ground.
In the race in Malaysia that followed just a week later there were glimmers of hope that team principal Whitmarsh would like to believe will lead to considerable gains going into the next two grands prix in China and Bahrain.
“Clearly, our performance in Australia and Malaysia fell below the high standards we’ve come to expect at McLaren,” said Whitmarsh.
“However, the break has been a useful one as we have been fully engaged in further developing our understanding of the car.
“We are confident of being able to implement a number of changes this weekend that will widen its operating window and, potentially, improve its performance.
“The team’s ability to respond has been exemplary. The engineers, designers and mechanics have worked tirelessly and painstakingly to unlock the car’s potential.”
McLaren’s principal issue in Australia surrounded the ride height of their car as it simply could not cope with the bumpy nature of the ‘street circuit’ that is Albert Park.
With understanding gleaned from that race and given the smoother surface of the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, the faults were less glaring.
It is why Button was able to run as high as fifth and given the team’s strategy may even have pushed for a podium place but for a pit-stop gaffe that ended his hopes and added to his woes.
Ahead of Sunday’s race at the Shanghai International Circuit, Button and Perez have again been hailed as “true inspirational leaders” and “real ambassadors” for McLaren by Whitmarsh for the brave face they have put on given the adversity.
For his part, in taking just two points from the opening two races and already facing an uphill task to mount any kind of championship challenge, Button is far from throwing in the towel as he hopes for a more competitive package from this weekend.
“In a funny way, the Chinese Grand Prix almost feels like something of a reboot of the start of my season,” said Button.
“Taking home two points from the first two races obviously wasn’t what we had in mind at the beginning of the year.
“But I think everybody in the team has picked themselves up and really attacked the task of addressing our car’s issues.
“We know where we’re losing performance, so I think we’re actually all looking forward to seeing just what we can achieve in Shanghai.”