Honda boss Yasuhisa Arai says the manufacturer is working to rectify Energy Recovery System (ERS) deployment weaknesses on next year's power unit.
The first cracks in the McLaren-Honda partnership started to show at the Italian Grand Prix, with reliability and performance still a problem with the power unit. Honda has struggled with ERS deployment - which can account for upwards of 160BHP on straights - for much of the season and this was brutally exposed at the Monza circuit as Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso quickly fell backwards through the field after the start.
Despite mounting pressure Arai has remained defiant about Honda's ability to fix the current power unit problems.
"We have already found out where our weak point is on the power unit, so we have already started next season's development," Arai said. "Our weak point is the deployment, which our two drivers already knew.
"We are one team, we do our best as McLaren-Honda. I know where the weak point of the power unit and also McLaren do their best to make a good car."
Arai says Honda will also be targeting an ERS improvement before the current season is out.
"I cannot say anything about future tokens. We have made the effort but it's very difficult because of the reliability issues. Of course we want to change that for next year but we want to get the small number of gain for the deployment at every race."
The Honda boss was forced to defend his position at Monza during a brutal grilling from journalists in attendance. Asked if he had apologised to either driver for this year's failings, Arai said: "I always talk with both drivers."
Pressed again on whether he had apologised for costing Button and Alonso time at the end of their illustrious careers with an uncompetitive engine, he replied: "Why? Why? I don't answer."