New McLaren boss Zak Brown says this season is still a year of recovery for McLaren and therefore he isn’t expecting the team to deliver any race wins in 2017.
Brown, who replaced Ron Dennis late last year following a number of poor seasons for the British team – with a winless streak stretching back to Brazil 2012 – has been tasked with rebuilding the team.
Although power unit supplier Honda has made progress and is expected to deliver greater performance this year, Brown isn’t raising the bar too high in terms of the team's targets.
"I think they [McLaren staff] are all frustrated, as you can imagine, and eager to get back to our winning ways,” he told the Marshall Pruett podcast.
“I don't think our results the last couple years are something that the team is accustomed to. They don't like it. And they want to turn things around.
"At the same time, one step at a time. So while we're doing all the right things I think for success, we need to keep moving up the grid. But I would caution we are not going to be winning any races [this year], I don't anticipate.
“So we need to be measured on forward progress, as opposed to ultimate results in 2017.”
Brown is eyeing a return to glory the following year however when everything has fallen into place.
"We've got the enthusiasm to be winning races and the championship, but I don't think we're there yet with our overall package.
“I’m just eager to see us moving up the grid and in a position to start winning races in 2018.”
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