McLaren driver Fernando Alonso expects his team to make their "first huge step" forward with the new MP4-30 engine powered by Honda when the 2015 Formula One season restarts in Spain on 10 May.
McLaren, who have again teamed up with Honda, has been struggling this season, with the Surrey-based team failing to pick up a single point in the opening four races for the first time ever.
Alonso has himself failed to score any points in the first three races (he missed the season opener in Australia due to a concussion, following a crash in the pre-seasons) for the first time this decade, but he claims that he is not worried, insisting that he is certain that his team will soon be doing well in the upcoming races starting from the Spanish Grand Prix.
"We are all united. We are all grown up and committed to this project," Alonso told Formula 1's official website. "Nobody is panicking in this tough moment - and panicking can be very easy in such a tough situation."
"I predict that in Barcelona we will see the first huge step and also the power effect is low in Monaco so we should also have a good race there. My prediction is that the next three races will be very interesting for us."
The 33-year-old, who retired in Malaysia and finished in 12 place in China, just missed out on the points position after finishing in eleventh place, just four seconds behind Williams' Felipe Massa at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
And Alonso is convinced that McLaren will be doing even better in the Spanish Grand Prix.
"The steps that we've made since Melbourne all point in the right direction. We will be working flat out to increase the performance for Barcelona – and the odds indicate that we should," he added. "I am optimistic – even if I am aware of the fact that still a lot needs to be done."
McLaren's other driver Jenson Button had a tough time in Sakhir, with his car facing several issues that eventually resulted in him not being able to start in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
And Alonso admits that his team cannot allow these kind of problems to repeat in the future.
"Of course it was a bit sad that we've raced only with one car so it was extra important to finish the race," the Spaniard added. "Now let's see what we can do in the next three weeks. Especially the reliability issues have to be addressed, as we have seen this weekend."
