McLaren have apologised to the Red Bull team and Mark Webber in particular after a software problem with an Engine Control Unit supplied by the team affected the Australian driver in his home grand prix in Melbourne on Sunday.

Webber qualified second on the grid for the season opener but a software-related issue with his car's ECU saw him make a sluggish start and drop to seventh by the end of the first lap.

"The electronic units themselves ran without incident in Melbourne, but there was a software-related issue that meant that Mark Webber's Red Bull Racing car's garage data system had to be re-started during the formation lap," a statement from McLaren Group read.

"That disrupted his preparations for the start of the race, for which Mark and the team has our apology.

"We are working together with them to prevent any recurrence."

Webber went on to claim sixth place as Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen took the win. The second race of the new season takes place in Malaysia this weekend.