McLaren driver Jenson Button believes that Fernando Alonso's turnaround last year is proof that his team can bounce back from their poor start to the season.

Ferrari's new car endured a miserable winter testing period prior to the last campaign, before the Spaniard turned his fortunes around to finished second in the championship having led the way for much of the season.

McLaren currently find themselves in a similar situation but Button, who finished ninth in the Australian Grand Prix, is encouraged by Alonso's comeback.

"There is that side of it, which is very positive. Fernando was one and a half seconds off the pace - of us at the start of the season - and almost won the title," Button told Sporting Life. "So yes, it is possible for a front-running team to make up the deficit. If it's the same as their situation, I don't know.

"There are always strengths and weaknesses, and then it's about how many of each, but it's not the place we'd like to be at the start of a year.

"For us, a lot has changed over the winter with the car, and for most of the teams that's not been the case. They have developed what they had last season. We just took a very different approach. At this moment in time, obviously we're not as happy as we were hoping to be, but it's only the first race and there's so much we can achieve."

The next race is the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.