The McLaren Formula 1 team expects to spend another season working its way to the front of the grid before achieving wins can become a realistic goal.

New McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown believes 2017 will serve as the final step in the team's comeback with engine partner Honda, and with a Victory Lane dry spell dating back to the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, the American says the proud program will bristle until the situation is fixed.

"I think they are all frustrated, as you can imagine, and eager to get back to our winning ways," said Brown, who replaced Ron Dennis in November. "I don't think our results the last couple years were something that the team is accustomed to. They don't like it. And they want to turn things around."

With eight Constructors' championships and 12 Drivers' titles to its credit, McLaren is pinning its hopes on two-time champion Fernando Alonso and young ace Stoffel Vandoorne to set the team on a trajectory towards the Promised Land.

Considering the performance gap his team must overcome to capture a win—McLaren placed sixth among 11 teams last year–Brown sees 2018 as a more realistic timeframe to end the winless streak.

"At the same time, one step at a time," he continued. "So while we're doing all the right things I think for success, we need to keep moving up the grid. But I would caution [that] we are not going to be winning any races next year, I don't anticipate. So we need to be measured on forward progress, as opposed to ultimate results in 2017."

"We've got the enthusiasm to be winning races and the championship, but I don't think we're there yet with our overall package."

In the concise podcast below, Brown also offered his thoughts on the recent takeover of F1's commercial rights by the Liberty Media Group, the ouster of his close friend and mentor Bernie Ecclestone, the different driver dynamic between Alonso and Vandoorne after Jenson Button's departure, and his take on whether F1's lucrative payout structure should be balanced to help the smaller, cash-strapped teams.

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