McLaren: Expectations not fully met

Despite having won a race and lying second in the Constructors' Championship, Whitmarsh says the team could have been stronger in the first three races of the season.

"By our own very high standards, we've not fully met our very high expectations in the first three races, despite having what we feel is the necessary race pace to compete at the front and despite having won the Australian Grand Prix," said Whitmarsh in a team preview ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

"That might sound overly self-critical, given that we are second in the Constructors' Championship, and given that Jenson and Lewis are both close to the top of the drivers' championship, but that's merely a reflection of the fact that we at McLaren aim to excel at all times.

"So I regard that objective as a positive: it's our desire to improve and to eliminate mistakes from the operation that will make us stronger championship contenders."

Whitmarsh, however, acknowledges that there have been a lot of positives from the first three races, and that they have given the team a confidence boost ahead of the European season.

"There's no denying that our successes - Jenson's integration into the team, his win in Melbourne, and some of the greatest drives of Lewis's career - have given us a great early-season boost," he added.

"Now we are looking to establish ourselves as consistent challengers at the front, and to pick up the maximum available points on a regular basis.

"One of the greatest qualities of this team is its considerable strength in depth. After establishing a strong and solid start to the season, we're confident that we'll become an even more formidable contender as we head into China and then the start of the European season."