Honda Formula One chief Yusuke Hasegawa believes this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix provides McLaren with a "big opportunity" to score its first points of 2017.
McLaren's first major upgrade handed the team a welcome performance boost in Spain, as Fernando Alonso delighted his home crowd by securing a superb seventh place on the grid, though he ultimately finished the race 12th. The Woking-based team will be without Alonso in Monaco while he makes his Indy 500 debut.
Jenson Button -- who won the 2009 race during his championship-winning campaign -- will make a one-off return to the sport as Alonso's stand-in around the streets of Monte Carlo to partner Stoffel Vandoorne. After a torrid start to the season, Hasegawa hopes McLaren can turn around its fortunes at a track less dependent on a strong power unit package.
"In Spain two weeks ago we showed some positive steps forward, and in Monaco outright power plays less of a role, so we are hoping the race will be a big opportunity for us," Hasegawa said. "It's very technical and a real drivers' track with no margin for error, so set-up will be key as will a strong qualifying session.
"We will have Jenson, a Monaco winner and world champion, behind the wheel, and Stoffel has also experienced the top step of the podium in Monaco in GP2. Between them we have a formidable driver line-up and it's our aim to keep pushing forward and give them both a car competitive enough to finish in the points."
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says a first two-car finish of the year is the team's primary goal and is optimistic the latest updates to the MCL32 will provide a positive step.
"Of course, the first priority is to finish the race with both cars, and work through the best possible strategy in order to give ourselves any fighting chance of a decent result," he said. "In Monaco, you can't take anything for granted, and it's certainly all to play for.
"Despite our result [in Spain], we're encouraged by the progress we're making, and hope in Monaco we'll have the opportunity to execute a more representative performance than those we've managed in recent races."