Piastri expects McLaren to be “fighting for more” in F1 2024

Following a difficult start with the MCL60 the Woking outfit introduced a successful series of updates from mid-season onwards that moved the car up the pecking order.

Rookie Piastri logged two podium finishes in grands prix plus a sprint race victory, while his team-mate Lando Norris made the top three on seven occasions.

Piastri hopes the team can maintain that sort of momentum into next season and be competitive from the start at all venues.

“I think as a team we’ve tasted a lot more success in the second half of the year,” he said. “I think we’re fully expecting next year to go into the year fighting for more, or at least making our good weekends we’ve had this year every weekend. But I’m sure Mercedes and Ferrari have the same idea.

“So we will try our best, definitely try and start it a little better than we did this year. For myself, I feel like I’ve got much more experience under my belt. And hopefully I can use that for whatever position we find ourselves in.”

Piastri acknowledged early in 2023 he was pacing himself over race weekends and building up speed towards qualifying. That approach changed as the year went on and he gained more experience.

“I definitely know a lot more now than I did coming into the year, I think,” he said.

“[In Abu Dhabi] the pace was really good from the start, just making a lot of mistakes. I would in some ways rather it’d be that way than go into qualifying a few tenths off but scratching my head on how I’m going to do it. As opposed to, sort of, the second half of the year, where if there has been a gap it’s more often than not been because of mistakes, rather than lacking pace.

“So I think the races there’s still some work to do. I feel like I’m slowly getting there. But happy with how I’m on track.“

Expanding on what he still has to learn, he said: “These tyres are not easy. This car is not easy in certain conditions. It’s always a bit of a new experience in every grand prix.

“Next year, now I’ve been to all the circuits in this car, I’ll know a bit more what to expect. I feel like I’ve left every race knowing a lot more than I did at the start of them. So hopefully that can be a bit stronger next year.”