The beleaguered McLaren team should not be underestimated even in the midst of the disastrous start to their reunion with Honda, Midweek Report guest Mark Blundell has warned.
Still regarded as one of F1’s ‘big four’ alongside fellow behemoths Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, McLaren have endured a wretched 2015 season so far, registering just one top-ten finish and slumping to a new low in Sunday’s Canadian GP when their woeful performance was soundbited by Fernando Alonso’s lament they “looked like amateurs”.
Yet the team’s belief that they were right to switch from Mercedes to Honda power remains steadfast and Blundell, who drove for the team in the 1990s, is adamant the fledgling partnership should not be written off despite their current strife.
Speaking on this week’s edition of the F1 Midweek Report, Blundell explained: "I can relate to it because 1995, when l was there, was the first year of the engine partnership with Mercedes. It takes time - and as much as everyone wants the journey to go quicker, it just cannot happen.
"We will have to wait to next year and probably to the third season of the partnership to see really strong results. But don't underestimate McLaren, they will come back."
Fellow guest Craig Scarborough, meanwhile, argued that it was over-simplistic to blame Honda for the team's plight.
"Both need to up their game," said the journalist and technical expert. "Honda need to bring their engine up to speed quickly, but McLaren need to match that because I don't believe that their chassis is currently one of the best. But the onus is definitely on Honda."