McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale says solving the correlation problems between what they expected of the MP4-28 and the on-track results, will be key to 2014.
The outfit has struggled to understand its current car which is, at best, the sixth quickest.
Neale says it’s important that they understand what’s gone wrong, so such an issue doesn’t repeat itself next year.
“We are essentially trying to sort out a correlation issue,” he said during a media phone-in. “It’s really important that we sort out the issues with the car and the correlation.
“All of the time you’ve got that lingering doubt of ‘hang on a second, what went went wrong, where did it go wrong and how do we fix it?’, you’ve got the opportunity for it to arise again [if it isn’t resolved].”
Whilst they’re yet to fully understand what went wrong, the team will introduce “significant” upgrades at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, but he warned not to expect miracles.
“There’s good reason why both Jenson [Button] and I would want to be relatively low key [about our expectations],” he said.
“None of us wants to be a hostage to fortune and setting ourselves up for a blow on the chin.
“The other thing is we’re not working in isolation here, and while of course it’s very natural that people want us to predict that we’re going to be on pole position, it’s a tough sport and the competitors don’t stand still. Quite what will be delivered depends on what everybody else will be doing.
“It’s impossible to predict and unwise to try to do so.”
