McLaren is a team about who it is often said that they can start out badly, but everything is still fine, because they always bounce back. How about now? Would you expect them to reinstate themselves as frontrunners again in late 2013? Or in 2014? In 2015? Or when?

Much has been made of the fall of Williams actually ever since the departure of Renault & Newey. They still won races in 2001-04, but that was the end of their frontrunning era. McLaren hasn't won a title for some time now though have been winning races each year.

However, could McLaren be looking at a long-term low like they themselves faced in the mid-90's, when they were also looking around for new engine suppliers? Unlike other "slow starts" into the seasons McLaren seems to be facing bigger obstacles this time. During previous "slow starts" (like 2004/09) McLaren was a consistent team - Mercedes' works team with one of the biggest budgets on the grid and top designers. How about now? They are not a works team any more, I am not sure they have one of the biggest budgets any more (are also going to lose Vodafone at the end of the year), have lost chief designer Paddy Lowe.

Then 2014 seems like a transition year as a private team, while we prepare for a 2015 McLaren-Honda partnership. A bit like Williams-Mecachrome/Supertec in 1998/1999. 2015 is another transition/build up year. And then again we still do not know if this partnership could reach the heights of the former McLaren-Honda glory or is it going to be more like the BAR story.

Button must be having flashbacks to 2007 and his Honda experience. BAR had a promising second half of 2006 and Button genuinely thought he could be a title contender in 07 - how horribly wrong that went! In the same way McLaren had a very promising second half of 2012, yet it hasn't worked out at all for this year. And we know, how difficult Honda found it to re-build the team. They had to hire a lot of new staff including Ross Brawn in their search for competitiveness.

Thoughts on the struggles of McLaren? Do you still view them as a genuine top team, a match to RBR/Ferrari over a full season? What about the rise of Mercedes/Lotus? If you were a driver, would you now consider these two teams as a better long-term prospect in getting a drive if you had a choice?