Brown: We are two-to-ten years away from F1 titles

The once-dominant team have not won a race since 2012 or stood on the podium since 2014. The upheaval continued this week when racing director Eric Boullier, a Frenchman who joined from Lotus in 2014, resigned. Technical head Tim Goss was moved aside in April.

McLaren ended a three-year partnership with Honda last season but have also underperformed with the same Renault engines that have taken Red Bull to three victories in nine races.

“We’ve had a tough time for many years now, even really before Eric joined,” Brown told reporters before the team’s home British Grand Prix, describing the situation as uncompetitive and unacceptable.

It was going to take some time to contend for Formula 1 titles. “I think we are years away. I don’t know if that’s two or 10, or somewhere in-between,” he said.

“Probably more like somewhere in-between, but I don’t want to get into predictions. I think we have to be very honest with ourselves and our fans that this is going to be a journey. I think everyone needs to recognise that.”

McLaren are sixth in the constructors’ standings and in danger of slipping to seventh, with Force India — financially strapped and operating on a fraction of the budget — only two points behind.

The team had said last year, when Honda took much of the flak, that they had one of the best chassis but Brown recognised on Thursday that had not been the case.

“No, definitely not,” he said, adding that this year’s was no better: “We know we have less downforce this year than last year.”

On the day the departure of Eric Boullier was announced, as well as the management movements - Gil de Ferran appointed sporting director - Brown also conceded that the way his team handled the message during the last couple of years was ill-advised.

He told Sky, "I think last year our chassis was good. I think we probably made a mistake with some of the statements that we made some predictions that's always so dangerous in life. So I think there are some things that we would have done maybe a little bit differently a year or two ago."

"Some of our statements, but you know they were said and we'll learn from those I think that's what's really important for the organization is when you make mistakes if I always say learn by them and don't make the same one twice," added Brown.