Widely considered to boast the fastest package on the grid at present following their front-row qualifying lock-outs in both Australia and Malaysia, McLaren currently hold a slender lead at the top of the Constructors' Championship and will return to action in Shanghai next week in search of the 150th pole position in their illustrious history.

Yet Whitmarsh was wary of looking so far ahead as he warned against any complacency from the Woking outfit when he spoke to Sky Sports News.

"A 150th pole for the team would be a great result but a lot of things can happen before then," the McLaren Team Principal told the channel. "China comes after a three-week gap and all of the teams will be pressing to improve their cars, including ourselves, and it's as simple as that: if someone has improved their car more than us then they could come out of the box even quicker than us in China."

In a particularly intriguing aside, however, Whitmarsh revealed that the team had already uncovered ways of improving the MP4-27 in the one week since workforce and machine returned to base following last Sunday's Malaysian GP.

"We're not complacent. We have to improve our car, we have to find performance improvements - and fortunately we have," he said.

"Whether they are enough, remains to be seen, but I think we are quite happy with the programme we have put together."