"We had our difficulties in winter testing but in terms of the way the car feels and the engine feels it's a really good platform. It's just going to take us a bit of time. It's a fantastic base for the future.

"This weekend is more about getting the best out of everything. Will we be challenging for a win? No we won't. It's the first race of a new package and a new McLaren Honda. I am being truthful, I am not trying to keep your expectations down.

"It is like a test session, but we still go out to do the best job we can in the race. We are not going to challenge for a win, I don't know where we fit in with the other teams at the moment, but it's always going to be difficult with the limited testing, the new power unit, the complexity of it. Other people have a year's experience on us of running the engine in real life.

"Honda has not gone down the easy route, they have gone down the aggressive route in terms of the packaging, which always makes it more tricky, but this is the way you need to be if you want to challenge Mercedes in the future.

"For us just getting points doesn't really mean anything. I don't even know if we will get points. But it doesn't really make any difference if we are eighth or 12th. It's more for us to get experience for later this year so we can challenge hopefully for podiums and wins. I would rather look at it that way than fight for a lower position in the championship. We can only win races if we are pushing the envelope with the car and the power unit."