McLaren sporting director Sam Michael is confident that his team's strong finish to the 2012 will stand them in good stead heading into next season.
The Woking outfit enjoyed a greatly improved second half to the season, winning five of the last ten races including the final two grand prix of the year. Had it not been for unfortunate retirements, their run could have been even better.
While McLaren were not mixing it up at the top of the pile in either the Drivers' or Constructors' standings in the closing stages of the year, Michael is confident they will be doing so in 2013.
"The car was really quick in the last two races and I think we can look forward to some really strong performances next year," Michael told Sky Sports News.
"We have to make the normal gains you have to do over winter and Red Bull and Ferrari will be flat out doing that, as will the other teams trying to catch up - Lotus and Mercedes.
"But we're pretty confident we can do the right things over the winter and start off strong. We're going to Melbourne to win."
With 2012 behind them, McLaren's focus has shifted to their new model and the arrival of Sergio Perez who replaces Lewis Hamilton.
"We obviously wanted to perform better in terms of end result and be there for the championship. But the car was strong at the end and we're really focused on 2013 now," explained the Australian.
"We've got a change to one of the drivers, so that's a big change for the team, and we're doing all the planning for that now. But also putting in place all the changes that we need to make sure that we're successful next year - and that means the whole lot."
