Fernando Alonso says McLaren is still treating races as test events but thinks Q2 is a possibility in Bahrain if the team has a clean weekend.
McLaren-Honda's slow start to the 2015 campaign has seen them fail to qualify for the second qualifying session in any of the three races so far, with the engine supplier running its power unit on conservative settings to limit the possibility of penalties later in the season. Alonso says McLaren is going into this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix with a testing mentality but understands why some fans may find that hard to understand.
"Unfortunately, this is a sport and we are in the middle of the championship," he said. "From the fans' point of view, you in the fourth race in the world championship and it is a test for us, so they don't understand how it can be a test, but this is the only sport in the world where you cannot test. Hopefully from Barcelona we can enjoy a little more of the races, but when we will be competitive to fight with the top guys, this is more of a long-term.
"I had only one day in Barcelona with 60 laps, the other days were 15 or 20. Sometimes we had non [MGU-]K deployment, so it wasn't even quality laps, so what we are achieving in the first race is fantastic. I am enjoying this process because every part shows us the direction to go. Sometimes it is positive and sometimes it is negative, but it is clear where we go, so this is a positive sign."
Honda is upping the power of its engine this weekend ahead of a planned upgrade for Spain. Alonso knows this could cause the team issues in Sakhir but believes the team is fully prepared.
"I think we are aware of this problem and we are making sure that the direction we go to with the car is suitable with the power we have now and the power we may have. Maybe changes to the braking, downshift, traction... that maybe with more power raises problems but we are making sure we are ready when that day arrives."
Alonso has set his sights on making the second qualifying session but says finishing positions are still lower down McLaren's list of objectives this weekend.
"We will see, I think the cars are very similar to China - for everybody, not just for us - so I don't tink the performance will change so much. The goal is to keep improving and if the track characteristics and the weekend goes well, Q2 is possible. If not, it won't be possible. There are many things we need to learn. There is a good programme for testing tomorrow, some aerodynamic parts in FP1 and tyre testing in FP2, so this is the key part of the weekend for us, and not to concentrate on positions 13, 15 or 17 - that is the second priority. If we make sure that the direction we are going in the right one, then this is the key performance."
When asked what has surprised him most about McLaren's MP4-30, Alonso replied: "How easy it is to drive. It is not too tricky, picky, it is a car that gives you confidence and you can push more and more. It doesn't give you funny surprises, which is positive. Secondly, now the team is developing the car and the parts are quite clear and clever, everything is working as they expect. This is good news."