Fernando Alonso says McLaren cannot expect to replicate its competitive Hungary pace at this weekend's German Grand Prix.
Alonso finished seventh in every session in Hungary, including qualifying and the race, as he recorded what he called McLaren's best weekend of the year so far. The Hungaroring suited McLaren and took the emphasis off Honda's power unit, which is still lacking performance compared to its rivals.
McLaren only finished one car in Budapest, with Jenson Button suffering brake issues before a late oil leak, and Alonso wants the team to target a double points finish at Hockenheim.
"For sure it will be different to Hungary -- we can't expect to be the number four team there, and our midfield rivals will be stronger, but we'll try to maximise everything we have in our armoury and give it our best shot. The whole team has worked incredibly hard over the first half of the year, so it'll be great to be able to have some luck and bring both cars home without any major issues."
Button has echoed Alonso's desire for improved reliability but thinks points are up for grabs if the team has a smooth weekend.
"Last Sunday in Hungary was a big disappointment on my side of the garage -- we showed a lot of promise throughout the weekend leading up to the race, but on Sunday it seemed that everything that could go wrong, did. Still, that's part of racing and Fernando has had his share of bad luck over the past few races, so it was good he was able to get some points and maintain a good pace.
"I hope we can regain our form in Germany and enjoy a positive race for both cars before the summer break. After last weekend, the main thing we need to focus on is reliability. If we have that, it at least puts us in a position to see where we are on track and be in the hunt for points. Hopefully the weekend will throw up a surprise or two, and we can both have a smooth weekend."