Jenson Button says McLaren have to update their MP4-28 as the car they raced in Australia is not capable of winning grands prix.
The new season got off to a sluggish start for McLaren with Jenson Button qualifying down in tenth place while his team-mate Sergio Perez was P15.
The team's woes continued on Sunday when Button could only manage ninth, McLaren's only points as Perez failed to make it into the top ten.
"We understood it would be difficult, but you arrive excited about the start of the season," Button told The Guardian. "There are many reasons and it makes it tricky. It is not down to changing the suspension.
"We need to bring updates and move this car forward. That is the only way we will see good results and wins."
The 33-year-old is confident McLaren can improve the current spec car as the team not only has the technical knowhow but also time.
"We have been in bad positions before and come back strong. It is just a pity that we have lost out so much at the start of the year. In these difficult days, it is important that we make the best of it. We got points and we did not expect that.
"We have to make the best of what we have got again in Malaysia. Then there is a reasonable gap and we will see what happens then.
"There have been non-stop meetings and discussions. We all know the way things are and there is an understanding that it is not okay.
"We know there are fundamental things that we have to change. It is not going to be easy but it can happen."
