Jenson Button warns against expecting McLaren miracles

Jenson Button says McLaren must keep its expectations realistic at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

McLaren has struggled in recent races, with the high-speed circuits at Spa and Monza emphasising the weaknesses in the Honda power unit. While the team has been targeting Singapore as a circuit which should play in to its hands, Button warns against setting targets which McLaren is unable to achieve.

“There’s always a lot of anticipation in the build-up to this race, and for us it’s no different," Button said. "We’ve had a couple of really challenging races, but we’ve said for a while that some of the circuits we go to towards the end of the season should be a bit better-suited to the stronger elements of our package.

“There’s no denying it’ll be hard work, and we aren’t expecting miracles overnight. But, Singapore is a fantastic circuit, it’s one of the longest races of the season in terms of time, and we quite often we see a Safety Car there.

"So, anything can happen; we’re hoping to learn a lot about how our car works in this configuration, and take as many positives from the weekend as we can.”

While the Honda power unit has been limiting McLaren's competitiveness, a senior team member told F1i in Italy it only believes the team has the "fourth or fifth" best chassis on the grid.

McLaren currently sits ninth in the constructors' championship and its last points came in Hungary, where Fernando Alonso finished fifth and Button came home ninth.

Jenson Button: McLaren can't expect 'miracles' in Singapore

Jenson Button says McLaren will not arrive in Singapore "expecting miracles overnight" despite the more favourable characteristics of the Marina Bay circuit.

McLaren endured two difficult races in Belgium and Italy, with cracks starting to appear in the relationship with engine supplier Honda at the latter. Button and McLaren have been pointing towards Singapore for a long time as the best chance for the team to return to the points because the street circuit places less emphasis on power than previous races.

Button recently told ESPN Singapore should be McLaren's "standout race" from 2015, but he is keeping expectations in check.

"There's no denying it'll be hard work, and we aren't expecting miracles overnight," Button said. "But, Singapore is a fantastic circuit, it's one of the longest races of the season in terms of time, and we quite often we see a Safety Car there. So, anything can happen; we're hoping to learn a lot about how our car works in this configuration, and take as many positives from the weekend as we can."

Racing director Eric Boullier says McLaren is looking to move on from the disappointment of recent races and hopes Singapore triggers the start of a more favourable run for the team.

"There is no denying that Spa and Monza were incredibly tough races for McLaren-Honda," Boullier said. "We expected it, and it was no surprise when the results came, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear. Saying that, we are entering a phase of the season where the circuits rely less on pure power and more on balance, characteristics that tend to suit our package better.

"Together, McLaren and Honda are constantly striving to improve our package and we have faith in our collective abilities to analyse our weaker areas and continue pushing forward. We won't make any promises or predictions, but we love this circuit and hope to put on the best show possible under the incredible floodlights of Singapore. It is truly a spectacular location to host a grand prix and fully deserves its status as one of the flagship races on the Formula One calendar."