McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has said that his team are entering the new Formula 1 season with renewed optimism following largely successful pre-season testing.

The 53-year-old said that he is confident of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton's chances of challenging Sebastian Vettel for the Drivers Championship.

"Our sense is we are competitive," said Whitmarsh. "The bad news is we don't look like we're dominant, but the good news is no-one else looks like they're dominant either.

"The winter has been better than last year. We went to last year's Australian race having not completed a race distance and having been spectacularly uncompetitive."

Button, who finished second last year, and Hamilton, who finished fifth, could only amass six victories between them last season.