Ron Dennis: McLaren season not good enough

McLaren boss Ron Dennis believes his team have endured a disappointing season, despite improving on their standing from the 2015 campaign.

The British team are currently sixth in the Constructors’ Championship standings after collecting 62 points from the opening 17 races of the season.

The Woking-based outfit have already claimed 35 more points than they did during 2015, when only Manor finished below them in the final standings, but despite their improvement, Dennis believes the team have still underachieved this year.

“About a five,” admitted Dennis upon being asked to grade his team’s year out of ten. “We’re just not good enough. We are here to win races and we’re not winning races – but we are going in the right direction.”

Drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button failed to achieve a podium finish during 2015, and they have yet to achieve a top three standing this season either, with their best showing to date coming at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, when Alonso came home fifth.

McLaren’s last podium finish came at the opening race of the 2014 season in Australia, when Button and former team-mate Kevin Magnussen both secured a top-three placing.

Dennis’ team will be hoping to end their wait for a top-three finish at next week’s United States Grand Prix, with Alonso and Button both available at 34.00 to claim a podium placing at Circuit of the Americas.