McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has revealed the team has "thrown everything we can" into overturning their wretched season.

The fruits of McLaren's labours are finally coming to bear, and it has raised hopes of Lewis Hamilton retaining his world title.

However, much first depends on the outcome of Wednesday's World Motor Sport Council hearing into the 'lie-gate' scandal, although no one believes the WMSC will suspend or exclude McLaren from the championship given the harm it would likely cause Formula One.

It is anticipated Hamilton will escape punishment as he has already been penalised given his disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix for lying to the stewards, and subsequent apology.

A fine, suspended sentence or points deduction in the constructors' championship - so costing the team their share of earnings come the end of the season - are the likely penalties for the team.

It would at least ensure morale stays intact, invariably keep the nervous sponsors on board and, more crucially, leave Hamilton free to focus on retaining his crown.

Sunday's fourth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Hamilton competing with the three leading teams in Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toyota, suggests he is far from out of the running.

That is in stark contrast to pre-season when it was clear McLaren had built their worst car for years, since when sacrifices have been made.

Hamilton trails championship leader Jenson Button by 22 points, which is not insurmountable at this stage, leaving Whitmarsh cautiously optimistic.

"We have to be wary," said Whitmarsh.

"We've made good progress, a lot of progress, and if we can continue that progress then we're going to be in a strong position.

"But we have to be frank because as a race team we have thrown everything we can at it.

"There were 12 performance modifications on the car in Bahrain compared to China, and that takes a huge amount of effort.

"We've certainly put a lot of effort in, by comparison, to some of our competitors, and if you do that it can be to the detriment of longer-term development.

"But as a real race team, as we are, it's not in our character not to go to every race and throw everything you can at it.

"Sometimes it's not the most efficient development process, but it creates an environment that is not a losing one.

"We weren't one of those teams who, within two races, was saying the championship is over.

"You can sense the people within the team feel we're heading in the right direction.

"So the benefit of a full-on assault gives momentum to the drivers, engineers, everyone within the team, to think 'Right, we can catch these guys up, overhaul them and win races this year'.

"We have to do that first, and when we do that, we'll see where we are in the championship, and whether it's feasible (to win it)."

Whitmarsh is surprised, in one respect, at how quickly the team has managed to get Hamilton back up to speed, in particular given the furore going on in the background.

"If you had asked me in Barcelona (pre-season in March) whether I would accept a strong fourth (in Bahrain), be competitive with all the cars and fourth in the constructors' (championship), then I would probably have snatched your hand off," added Whitmarsh.

"But being McLaren, we want to win. We've encouragingly made steps in the right direction.

"There is no team that has improved race by race to the extent we have so far, but we need to keep pushing."