Boullier: Our 2016 car is already better than the 2015 one

McLaren says it will have a significantly different car for the 2016 season, after a disastrous year in which they renewed their partnership with Honda.

Clearly, the Woking outfit's biggest problem this year has been its works Honda engine as it slumped to ninth in the constructors' championship. But Jenson Button says the chassis was not perfect either.

"Hopefully next year we will be much higher on the grid because the whole package has improved," he is quoted by Spain's AS newspaper.

"I think we need to improve the ICE (engine) and the deployment (energy recovery) but we also need to improve the car in general," the Briton added. "It was not the fastest (chassis) on the grid."

Team boss Eric Boullier said next year's McLaren will be significantly different, "Almost everything will change except the philosophy. Right now, our new car for next year is already better than this (2015) one."

Honda's Yasuhisa Arai confirmed: "As Eric says, our concept and philosophy remains but a completely new engine is being developed."

2015 was annus horribilis for McLaren Honda, the team finished ninth - only better than perennial backmarkers Manor - in the constructors standings, thus marking McLaren's worst points finish since 1980.

McLaren and Honda enjoyed a dominant period from 1988 to 1992, with Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna and French four-times champion Alain Prost winning 15 of 16 races in 1988.

The team won 44 grands prix, from 80 starts, during that five-year partnership.