Dennis: McLaren to take quantum steps

The British team have endured a somewhat troubled start to their season, while rivals Renault have won the first two races in Bahrain and Malaysia.

McLaren's winter testing progress was slowed due to problems with their Mercedes engines, but they raised their game for the start of the season and were seen as favourites to fight at the top.

In Bahrain, Kimi Raikkonen finished in third place after starting from the back of the grid, while in Malaysia the Finn retired after an incident at the start while his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya finished a distant fourth.

McLaren, however, are planning major developments for the next few races, and Dennis is adamant the team will be able to fight back.

"I don't ever get optimistic because it is a very tough sport in which to compete, but we know our car has the underlying pace," Dennis told The Guardian in an interview.

"And the most encouraging thing for us is that we know what's coming in terms of technical upgrades for our car in Australia, and we know what's planned for the Nurburgring. We will be taking some quantum steps over the next races.

"McLaren exists to win every race in which it competes," Dennis added. "Worrying about what your rivals are doing is a fruitless exercise. If you win all the races, or as many as you possibly can, then hopefully the championship will flow logically from those efforts.

"I am not a person who looks backwards and worries about what has gone before. The only priority for McLaren is looking ahead and aiming to win the next race."