Weeks before his team races the car with which it hopes to revive its fortunes, and days after scoring seven points in Canada, it's best tally since Japan last year, Ron Dennis had admitted to being hurt by the recent criticism of both he and his team.

"Many challenges don't respond to money they take time," he said, ahead of this weekend's United States GP at Indianapolis, "and in three or four races we'll be in much better shape.

"We understand how we got into this situation," he continued, "and we have a clear understanding of how we'll get out."

In a season in which, thus far, his cars have scored 12 points, and lie sixth in the World Championship, Dennis has been blamed for taking his eye off the ball, losing focus on the F1 team as he concentrates on other matters, namely his company's new technology centre in Woking, recently opened by the Queen.

"I am upset by our performance and my own contribution to it," he admitted, "although I've experienced far more difficult times than we are going through at the moment. It is not an enjoyable experience to go through the pain of the failures we are currently suffering, but I do believe we will return to competitiveness.

"We can see light at the end of the tunnel. I know the hero to zero nature of Grand Prix racing and that if you've had success, the failure is far more observed."

Dennis and the team are hoping that the MP4-19B, scheduled to be run in the French GP, will see a revival in fortunes.