Williams' Lance Stroll says his team's current depressed form is masking any signs of his personal improvement, but he's confident there are some who will look beyond the lack of results.
After an opening three-race run in which he finished P14 in Melbourne, Bahrain and Shanghai, Stroll moves on to Azerbaijan where last year the 19-year-old followed up his maiden points-scoring finish in Montreal with an impressive podium finish in Baku.
Unfortunately, the Canadian will be hard pressed to repeat that performance next week given Williams' current struggles with its 2018 car.
Stroll insists however that the people around him who matter will see past his team's troubles and discern his improvement as a driver.
"The people that need to know, know" Stroll said.
"To the general public it’s the nature of the sport that it’s a car-dominant sport. It’s not a secret.
"You look at any driver out there. Look at Fernando Alonso as a perfect example: two-time world champion, one of the best drivers of the grid [but] he’s not in the best car, he’s not getting into Q3, he’s not winning races.
"That’s the nature of the sport, that’s how it works. I can’t change that."
Stroll has vowed to keep his down and focus on doing his best in an environment where there are many aspects that are beyond his control.
"All I can do is get more out of myself every weekend, every time I get in the car, work on my weaknesses, build on my strengths and, like I said, the people who need to know, the people in my little group that I work with, that’s ultimately what matters.
"The rest is out of my control."
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