McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale believes Lewis Hamilton is poised for his best Formula One season in years.
Hamilton had an erratic year in 2011, with his three race wins overshadowed by a series of penalties and errors which saw him finish fifth in the drivers' world title standings.
But Neale said the Briton has been training hard in the United States over the offseason, and said he was confident Hamilton could rediscover the form which saw him claim the drivers' championship in 2008.
"I'm speaking to him most weeks. He's getting himself together," Neale said.
"He's winter training really hard and he's in the right place doing the things he needs to be doing."
"What he needs to do is get himself in the car. He's only got something to prove to himself. He's his own biggest critic."
"He puts extremely high demands on himself, we at the team are here to support him. It's a tough business, you've got to get the job done."
Last season, McLaren's car struggled to keep pace with that of eventual champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, and Neale acknowledged the need for improved performance at the technical level to ensure Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button a fighting chance.
"One of the things we measure is our did-not-score rate," he said. "If we had a good car that was capable of scoring good points in that race and we didn't, we go back and ask ourselves why."
"There have been a number of operational issues we've needed to get fixed and some of the changes we're making in our line-up and some of the processes - and bringing people like (former Williams technical director) Sam Michael on board (as sporting director) - are aimed at tackling some of those issues."
Neale said he expected world champions Red Bull to remain strong in 2012, but said Ferrari would also be likely to make a renewed push for the title after disappointing last year.
"Red Bull have been good for the last two years," Neale said.
"They sorted out their reliability last year and it's just speculation at this moment (who will have the quickest car). Who knows who will come out with what?"
"Ferrari have obviously got a lot to prove this year. From the glimpse we got of how their car was at Silverstone without the blown diffuser they were quick, so they have some capability there."
"But the whole car hangs together well for Red Bull and, with an evolutionary set of rules, they would be disappointed if they weren't among the front runners."