Fernando Alonso admits there is still a "question mark" over how much progress Honda can make for 2016.
McLaren finished 2015 ninth in the constructors' championship, its worst finish in a Formula One season since 1980. It struggled with Honda power from the beginning of the year as the Japanese manufacturer failed to make a competitive or reliable power unit, something the team hopes can be rectified over the winter.
Alonso and team-mate Jenson Button have consistently stressed 2016 will be better but the Spaniard says success next season could just be limited to fighting for the occasional podium.
"At the moment there's a question mark, I guess, where McLaren-Honda can be next year," Alonso said. "There are a lot of expectations in the team. I think we worked really all season, being united in some difficult moments and always moving forward, so I think for 2016 the main goal for the team is to come back to where we belong, we think, and being competitive, fighting for the top positions.
"I don't know if that means fighting for the championship, I don't know if that means fighting for victories of just being on the podium sometimes, that's always difficult to know in a very complex sport like Formula One.
During the Abu Dhabi finale Alonso was forced to deny comments from McLaren CEO Ron Dennis which seemed to imply he may take a sabbatical next season. The former double world champion insists he believes in the work being carried out for 2016 and thinks it will be "a completely different season".
"There are definitely some big challenges ahead in this winter and I see all the things that the team has done in the last couple of months and these seem very logical, very positive and I'm confident that it's going to be a completely different season next year and I'm happy with the progress."