Martin Whitmarsh: 'McLaren have no excuses in 2014'

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has said that his team will have no excuses if they fail to compete with their elite rivals in Formula 1 next season.

Although the Woking-based outfit ended 2013 without a podium finish for the first time since 1980, Whitmarsh is excited about the prospects for next season with the grid needing to adapt to changes in regulations.

He told Autosport: "It has been a long season and it seemed longer than I have ever known a season. Now I am excited about the future and that is a nice thing.

"With the big rule change coming for 2014, it really is a clean sheet here. There are no excuses for next year."

McLaren finished fifth in the constructors' championship, 474 points behind winners Red Bull.