Oscar Piastri enjoys "being in the mix" this year

F1 Grand Prix, GP Canada, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

McLaren's Oscar Piastri said that he enjoys the current season much more as the Woking-based outfit appears to have a chance of fighting for the victory in every race.

McLaren have spent several years struggling for consistent form, but the Woking-based outfit managed to lift its performance in the second half of the 2023 F1 season. They achieved this upturn in form by starting to chase a different aerodynamic platform with a completely redesinged floor and sidepod inlets.

For this year, McLaren continued its ceaseless work on its car. While their 2023 machine was so strong in high-speed corners that it often beat the field-leading Red Bull in those sections, they slightly struggled over kerbs and in slow-speed corners.

Therefore, their aim was to design a car that is more of an "all-rounder" that does not only excel on circuits like Suzuka or Barcelona. The opening segment of the season has confirmed that McLaren's MCL38 is a car that can display a strong performance on every type of tracks.

The Woking-based otufit's Australian driver Oscar Piastri said that it feels "exciting" that he can fight for top positions on every weekend.

"I mean, it's always more exciting when you're fighting at the front, obviously. That's what we're all here for. I'm very fortunate that I have the opportunity to be able to be in that position. But, you know, we're all here because we've been successful leading into F1 and we all want to win.

"So, yeah, it is very exciting having that opportunity. I think last year... There were points where we could get a podium, but a win was never realistic, I would say. Whereas this year, a win is certainly on the cards. And I would say the last few weekends, with a few things going slightly differently, then there's been a lot of potential.

"It does bring me back a bit to my junior days. And it does change the feeling of how you go racing a little bit. It doesn't change the approach, I would say. But of course, when you go into a weekend knowing that you can fight for a win, it's a bit nicer than knowing that you should be trying to fight for a point, maybe.

"That was us 12 months ago. So, you know, I guess I know already what it's like to be in both positions, but I think we all know which position we'd rather choose. And I'll stop there.

Piastri stressed while his confidence has also grown over the past months, the improved performance is mainly down to the fact that McLaren has managed to find a good window with its car that works on every track and in all conditions.

"I would say more just a confidence thing. I think there have been good moments here and there, even at the start of the season. I think the first few rounds were quite promising, a couple of difficult races in the middle, but on the whole, I feel like I've taken a good step forward in quite a few areas from last year.

"I think it's just been the consistency that's really been the missing thing. So the last few weekends have been good to try and get on top of that. But I don't think I've done anything special.

"I don't think as a team we've really done anything special. We've just got the car in a good window. And with the upgrades, clearly it's performing well. So yeah, I think we're all just taking it up a notch," added the one-time sprint race winner.