Fresh from committing his future to McLaren, veteran driver Jenson Button believes former Red Bull engineer Peter Prodromou can play a key role in reviving the struggling team's fortunes.

McLaren, a traditional Formula One powerhouse but without a drivers' championship crown since 2008, have seen their switch to Honda power fall flat in 2015.

Their best result so far this season was the fifth-place finish managed by Fernando Alonso at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July.

Alonso's fellow former world champion Button has done no better than eighth at the Canadian GP in May.

Button, 35, was widely expected to retire at the end of this season, but last week announced his decision to continue driving for McLaren in 2016.

The 2009 world champion believes the recruitment in September last year of Prodromou from Red Bull, who won four consecutive driver and constructor championships between 2010 and 2013, will eventually help to deliver results.

"Prod is coming in at a very difficult time and if he'd came in two years ago then last year [we] would have been a lot more competitive," Button told ESPN.

"Now it's very difficult to see how we have improved the car balance and its speed, but it's definitely there.

"I like his ideas, I like the way he works in terms of how he listens to us as drivers. The details he wants from us in terms of where the wind is coming from with the front wing, the rear wing and the centre of the car, it's really interesting. It's a nice feeling as a driver, being listened to."

McLaren are in action at the Russian Grand Prix this weekend, where Button - ever the optimist - hopes even minor improvements may be noticeable. 

"The mechanics are still working flat out because they want to build the car as perfect as they can," he said.

"The guys back at the factory are working harder than ever to improve, in terms of aerodynamics and taking weight out of areas of the car that are quite heavy."