Jenson Button says 2013 form has forced McLaren to fix core issues
Jenson Button is convinced this year's struggles will help McLaren become a stronger team ahead of the 2014 Formula 1 season
The Woking-based squad has not been on the podium this year, with Button languishing down in ninth place in the standings and out of the championship fight.
Team-mate Sergio Perez meanwhile is down in 12th, having scored 18 points from the opening 10 races.
McLaren is currently sixth in the constructors' championship, 220 points behind leader Red Bull.
While Button admits his team's form has been very frustrating, the Briton believes the deep analysis carried out to solve the issues will result in McLaren presenting a much stronger challenge next year.
"When you have issues, you start looking at every single tiny detail and when you put it all together it can make a big difference," said Button.
"Maybe if we had gone along this year and won a few grands prix, next year won a few grands prix, the next year win a few grands prix...
"Whereas now, with a bad season, trying to find every detail, improve everything and work on every single detail, I think will make us a stronger team next year.
"We've found it before - in 2009. I think it's a positive thing for us for the future.
"It hurts while you're going through that tough period, but it helps you in the long term."
Button denied McLaren's problems have been aggravated by the team trying to introduce complicated solutions too quickly.
"Most of the stuff we put on is straightforward aerodynamics and downforce," he said. "There's nothing that's too complicated, that we can't understand, which is good.
"I agree that putting something on the car that is very complicated would be the wrong thing to do, especially with very different types of circuit and limited testing on the race weekend.
"But what we're putting on the car is all simple downforce."
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