Piastri: Progress never linear, I enjoy showing what I can do

McLaren have been in strong form since they upgraded their MCL38 in Miami, and Piastri has been relishing driving the revised car as he now heads to Canada on the back of a decent result in the Monaco GP, where he finished second behind winner Charles Leclerc.

"Monaco was special," Piastri reflected. "I felt it on all three days and getting a podium in Senna colours around those streets was sensational. As a young boy back in Australia, Monaco was one that I would dream about and so, it’s nice to collect some silverware from one of the classics."

Piastri was speaking in McLaren's preview of Canada, and added: "I’ve been happy with where my driving is at the moment, especially the consistency that I’ve shown across the last three events.

"Progress is never linear but I’m enjoying showing what I can do and driving this car, which the team have done such a strong job with.

"Hopefully in Canada, we can pick up where we left off because it’s so tight at the sharp end of the grid and we want more," the young Aussie concluded.

Lando Norris won in Miami, and came very close to beating Max Verstappen in Imola, but was playing catch-up to his teammate in Monaco where he finished fourth, and as for Canada, the Briton is wary that it may be a challenge and refrained from making any optimistic predictions.

Norris said: "I enjoy racing in Montréal, it’s a fun track with some challenging sections which make it more exciting.

"Our car has performed well at a few different types of circuits, but we know we might have our work cut out in Canada. Our competitors are likely to be strong here," he warned.

"It was nice to have a week off after the Imola-Monaco double-header," Norris added. "We walked away with two podiums, and a lot of points for the team. I’ve had productive sessions with my engineers back in the MTC, and now I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend."

McLaren Team Principal, Andrea Stella, is pleased with the current form of his team, but insisted they could never relax if they were to maintain their momentum.

Stella said: "We are pleased to have returned to the factory from the double-header with two P2 trophies. Both Lando and Oscar’s strong finishes enabled us to continue securing a stronghold in our Constructors’ Championship position.

"However, we are still towards the start of the season, so we have to work hard to ensure these results keep coming," he warned.

Piastri and Norris finished the race in Canada 11th and 13th respectively back in 2023, but Stella is optimistic of a better showing this time around.

He added: "The Circuit Gilles-Villenueve is a driver and fan favourite, and one that poses a few new challenges when compared to circuits we’ve raced at so far this year.

"We go into this year’s Canadian Grand Prix more optimistic than last year’s, but with the understanding that we still face a tough battle to be competitive here.

"Our aim is to build a car that can be consistently competitive at all types of circuit, and the team are working hard to unlock that performance," the Italian concluded.

McLaren are currently third in the 2024 F1 Constructors' Championship, 68 points behind second-placed Ferrari, who in turn are only 24 points behind current leaders, Red Bull Racing.