Jenson Button has said that he is confident McLaren will make gains in terms of performance this winter.

Button and teammate Fernando Alonso have been retained by McLaren for 2016, despite a poor season that has seen both drivers publicly vent their frustration with the lack of pace and reliability from the Honda power unit.

However, the Briton has suggested that the signs are promising for the future.

He told Auto Express: "I see improvements and I feel over the winter there'll be a big gain.

"There's still a lot of work we need to do next year to be competitive, but it's definitely going in the right direction. The output we have now is beyond what we had last year, so Honda are doing a good job.

"I've had times this year in qualifying where I feel I've had a great lap, like Spa. Obviously the performance wasn't there in terms of outright pace, but the feeling of the car was very good."

McLaren are currently ninth in the constructors' championship.