Jenson Button hopes to draw on Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's experiences from last year as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing start to the season.
The Italian squad found themselves well off the pace of the Red Bulls and McLarens at the start of the 2012 campaign, but everyone go their heads down and by the time they got to Europe, Alonso was able to join the hunt for the title. The Spaniard eventually finished second behind Sebastian Vettel in the World Championship.
Button and team-mate Sergio Perez struggled during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix over the weekend, but the Brit, who picked up only two points after starting 10th on the grid, believes they can learn lesson or two from their great rivals.
"There is that side of it, which is very positive. Fernando was one and a half seconds off the pace - of us at the start of the season - and almost won the title," said the 2009 World Champion.
"So yes, it is possible for a front-running team to make up the deficit. If it's the same as their situation, I don't know.
"There are always strengths and weaknesses, and then it's about how many of each, but it's not the place we'd like to be at the start of a year.
"For us, a lot has changed over the winter with the car, and for most of the teams that's not been the case. They have developed what they had last season.
"We just took a very different approach. At this moment in time, obviously we're not as happy as we were hoping to be, but it's only the first race and there's so much we can achieve."
Unlike most teams who opted to use an evolution of their 2012 cars, McLaren made radical changes to their 2013 car, but there have been suggestions that the squad could revert back to last year's challenger in attempt to get back to the front.
Perez, who didn't pick up any points in his debut race for the Woking squad, believes the team can turn things around.
"If there is one team capable of getting out of these tricky conditions we have at the moment then it's McLaren," he said. "I fully believe in McLaren, and what is encouraging for me is I see the people working flat out. I know we are going to come out of this situation sooner rather than later."
