Oscar Piastri hopes cooler conditions in Monaco this weekend will play more in favour of McLaren after a tough Miami Grand Prix.
The Australian battled a brake-by-wire issue last time out to finish last but one.
McLaren team-mate Lando Norris also endured a difficult Sunday, picking up damage on the opening which compromised his race pace.
The disappointment in Miami contrasted an encouraging Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Norris was ninth and Piastri 11th.
“I think going into the weekend, we had a feeling that some of the corners might not suit us very well, and it turned out to be the case,” Piastri said of Miami.
“In the race, for Lando and myself, we both had some issues, so I think maybe it was even worse than it was.
Click here now.
“But in saying that, we’ve analysed that quite heavily and hopefully we can make some steps to improve in those kinds of conditions.”
Miami heat hurt McLaren
Conditions in Miami were hot, with the mercury topping 30 degrees on all three days.
Temperatures are not expected to reach those heights in Monaco, with low- to mid-20s at best, and a chance of rain on Sunday.
“It’s supposed to be a lot colder than Miami, which we think was part of that issue as well,” Piastri said.
“Obviously a very different circuit here to Miami, so hopefully it suits us a bit better.
“But, in saying that, we need to address our weaknesses in other areas, too.”
Monaco return for Piastri
Piastri last raced in Monaco during his championship-winning Formula 2 campaign in 2021, taking two second-place finishes across the weekend.
Friday’s opening practice will be his first taste of F1 machinery around the sport’s tightest venue.
“The first time I went to Saudi this year was quite an eye opener how much quicker Sector 1 is in an F1 car, so think everywhere around you will feel a lot quicker,” he said.
“But we’ve got three hours of practice, which is nice compared to the 45 minutes I used to have around here.
“It’s a lot of time to get used to it; obviously, you want to try and start on the front foot and build yourself up from a good starting point.”
Opening practice in Monaco begins at 13:30 local time (21:30 AEST).
Discussion about this post