• After seven rounds McLaren are out of both championships • 'No one within the team deserves to get fired'

Jenson Button says McLaren must take measured steps to address their disastrous season in Formula One and not resort to singling out individuals for blame.

McLaren, for so long one of Formula One's big hitters, will go into next Sunday's "home" British Grand Prix at Silverstone without a realistic chance of winning and are trailing traditional midfielders Force India in sixth place in the constructors' championship.

After seven rounds McLaren are already out of both championships and do not look like winning a race in the near future. But, unlike Lewis Carroll's Queen of Hearts, who was fond of saying "Off with their heads", Button has called for a more patient approach. "I think for the drivers, or any of the management, to come out and say: 'Right, it's this guy's fault, let's fire him' is the wrong attitude," he said. "You are going to scare people, and maybe go in the wrong direction.

"It's not one person's problem. No one within the team deserves to get fired over what has happened this year. I think we have made a mistake as a team, and it is not good enough. Of course not. But as long as we learn from this mistake and it makes us a better team, you will see a much stronger McLaren next season."

"Yes, this year is disappointing. It looks bad from the outside and it's tough from the inside. But I am not the only one who feels that. It is several hundred people at the factory. They don't see the glory when we stand on top of the podium. They just feel the pain when we don't do well. Going in and shouting at the top of my voice – fair enough, it shows my pain – but it probably causes everyone else's morale and confidence to drop .

"There is no point in doing that. You have to go in and say what you think in the right way, and the right manner, as a grown up. Because I am intelligent I realise that shouting and screaming at people won't help the situation."

In particular, Button has come to the defence of the vulnerable team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, who is in his fifth year in charge and has yet to win a trophy. "It's very easy for everyone to point a finger at the person who is leading the team, rightly or wrongly. For me, he has a lot of respect in the team, from people working alongside him, just underneath him, or people working in the workshops. I think they like his attitude.

"I think they like the way he works, and the way he works with them. He is a massive part of this team. It is so tough for him at the moment, it really is. I think he is staying strong, and he is keeping the work force confident.

"He is a human being as well, that's so important. He will go into the factory and say, 'We messed up.' He is not going to point the finger at anyone. He will take the blame. I really like that with Martin – I think he is a really good leader."

McLaren's form is a desperate disappointment for Button, who really believed he might have a shot at a second world title this year. But the champion of 2009, speaking at Silverstone, remains remarkably positive. "It hurts, of course," he said. "But it could be so much worse. It isn't a disaster. We are still scoring good points even if we are not winning races. But we are still having great races. We finished in front of a Red Bull in a race, and I beat Fernando Alonso, who is fighting for the world championship, in Monaco. I don't know if we are going to win a race this year. All I know is that we are working our arses off to develop the car."