It may have been another painful year for McLaren, but racing director Eric Boullier has praised the resolve shown by the team during yet another season off the pace with Honda.
McLaren's relationship with Honda finally reached breaking point this year as the Japanese manufacturer failed to deliver a competitive or reliable power unit for the third consecutive season. Though progress has been shown in the latter part of the campaign, it was too little too late to save the partnership, which will come to a premature conclusion after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Barring a remarkable turnaround at the finale, McLaren is set to finish ninth, matching its position in its first season with Honda in 2015. Boullier thinks the team has performed admirably given the obstacles it had to overcome.
"I'm proud of the battles we've fought and the achievements we've made as team this year, despite the lack of results and their respective influence on the championship table," Boullier said. "Every member of our team has worked tirelessly to improve our package, race by race, and this weekend will be no exception, as we strive to make the most of every session before the close of the season for the winter shutdown."
McLaren's performance has seen a noticeable upswing in recent months, something the team has consistently put down to the strength of its chassis. With a switch to a Renault power unit which has claimed three wins in 2017 looming, and a limited amount of changes in next year's regulations other than the implementation of the Halo, Boullier is excited about what lies ahead.
"We use every single opportunity on track to evaluate and improve our package and learn valuable lessons for next year, and this weekend will be just as important as ever. With the relative stability in the regulations between 2017 and '18, it means a lot of the data we've gathered, especially over the last few races, will still stand us in good stead over the winter and help inform the all-important decisions we make on next year's package.
As for the ending partnership with Honda, he said: "I know I can speak for the whole team when I say that each and every one of us embarks on our final grand prix weekend as McLaren Honda in Abu Dhabi with both optimism and respect.
"Every single person has worked incredibly hard over the past three years and remained committed through the highs and lows we've experienced together until the very last race. All of us will go into the weekend with exactly the same aim -- to work hard and do everything we can to finish the season positively."