Stoffel Vandoorne echoed the view of McLaren-Honda team mate Fernando Alonso, offering a damning assessment of his own about the team's current level of performance.
While the Belgian actually saw the checkered flag on Sunday, contrary to Alonso, it was no real consolation in the grand scheme of things at McLaren.
"The only positive point is that I finished the race, because I honestly didn't expect to," he told Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure.
"We went to the end, but we were never able to fight for anything. We lack so much power that it is impossible to fight. We're really driving in another category.
"We are more or less last. Our package is really not competitive," he said.
Starting an F1 career with McLaren is a luxury few young drivers have been awarded in the past, but Vandoorne is oblivious to history.
His focus is on the Woking outfit's sad state of affairs.
"I'm not happy but that's normal," said the 24-year-old.
"When you're 3 seconds down, it's not enjoyable because you're not really racing.
"We're getting new parts for China and Bahrain and we'll try to improve, but we know that it will take time. The next races will be just as difficult," he predicted.
GALLERY: all the pics from Sunday's action
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