Jenson Button says he and Fernando Alonso know they have to take McLaren's current problems on the chin if they ever want to return to the front of the grid.

Alonso and Button qualified 17th and 18th at Silverstone, with only the Manors behind, as its ongoing problems continued on home soil. The team and both its drivers have been keeping a brave face through its teething problems with Honda power and Button was forced to do the same on Saturday afternoon.

After seeing himself and his team-mate eliminated from Q1, Button laughed and said: "I gave [Alonso] the nipple tweak a minute ago; I got a bit of a smile in return so there's some positive feeling still after qualifying.

"It's difficult for both of us. We're both used to fighting for wins and being near the front so it's tough for us and tough for everyone in the team. So us sticking together and developing together is really key. It's a massive bonus for all that we have so much experience we can bring together."

The British Grand Prix has been something of a bogey track for Button, with no podium appearance on home soil since his debut season in 2000.

Asked how he kept smiling through such difficult times in front of a home crowd, Button laughed and replied: "It's smiling at all the adoring public. No, it's tough, really tough, especially today in front of the home crowd. You forget the position that you're in every time you get into the car, especially when you're in front of the home crowd. Because even if the public and supporters and fans know our situation you still all hope for more at the home grand prix but it wasn't our day."