Former Formula 1 driver Jenson Button has admitted that McLaren's pre-season performance gain claims have tarnished the "good steps" that the Woking-based team has made in 2018.
McLaren switched to Renault power in 2018 following an ill-fated three-year relationship with Honda as its engine supplier, and as such, expected to find large performance gains to challenge F1's top three teams: Mercedes; Ferrari; and Red Bull.
After four races this season, however, the team has failed to show its self-claimed inroads and although it sits fourth in the Constructors' Championship with 36 points, it is arguably behind Renault and Haas on outight pace as well as the leading trio.
"The three big teams, it's difficult to challenge them at the moment and it's going to take a while," Button explained to Sky Sports.
"McLaren came out last year and this year and said they think they might have the best car. It's a tall order to have the best car in Formula 1 when you're racing against Ferrari and Mercedes and Red Bull. And I think we've seen that isn't the case."
Button reckons had they not made such bold claims to begin with, then their season so far would be considered relatively successful.
"You'd say the season so far is a disappointment but if they didn't say they had the best car you'd say it's a great season for them.
"They've made good steps, they're fourth in the constructors' standings, but because of what they said at the start of the year you say maybe it's not what we expected."
After a slow start to the season which can be characterised by the team failing to reach Q3 in qualifying and through a best finishing position of fifth so far, McLaren expects to make some gains at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix where the team's 'true' 2018 car will hit the track.
Whether the team will be able to challenge the top three this weekend remains unknown, although Fernando Alonso believes that there is "no magic bullet" that will launch the team to the front of the grid.
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