McLaren on the 'right trajectory' despite recent struggles

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McLaren boss Andrea Stella says team papaya heads to Canada this week on "the right trajectory" overall despite its recent struggles.

McLaren only has three points to show in F1's Constructors' standings for its efforts across the last three races, the result of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's double top-ten finish in Monaco.

Last time out in Spain, Norris qualified an impressive third, but a contact on the opening lap with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton forced the Briton into the pits for a front wing change, a setback that led to a lowly P17 finish for the Briton while Piastri concluded his race well outside of the top-ten.

"We came away from Spain with a less than satisfactory result," commented Stella in McLaren's Canadian Grand Prix preview.

"We were of course very happy to start the race with both cars in the top 10 after a positive qualifying session.

"The race proved to be more difficult in terms of pace and due to Lando's incident at Turn 1. We take the learning onboard and we go again."

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Stella says McLaren will attempt to make the most of its trip to Montreal this week although the Italian hinted at another challenging race weekend for the Woking-based outfit.

"Canada is a track that many drivers enjoy," he added. "It's another challenging circuit, fast-flowing but with low-speed corners and loads of braking and traction.

"We're on the right trajectory as a team for the long-term foundation and we know results will start to come to us once we improve the car.

"In the meantime, we'll try and extract the most from the next GP in Canada."

Before traveling to Canada, Norris and Piastri both spent time at Woking preparing for next weekend's round of racing at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"With a week off from racing following a double-header, I've been back at the MTC with my engineers in preparation for this weekend," said Norris.

"Circuit Gilles-Villenueve can be challenging with its heavy-braking chicanes, but it can also be a lot of fun to race. I'm excited for it, and hopefully we can score some points."

The Canadian Grand Prix will mark Piastri's first experience of racing in Montreal.

"I've been preparing for the weekend with my engineers, so I feel ready to make my debut at Circuit Gilles-Villenueve," said the Aussie.

"Spain was bittersweet for the team. Sunday proved difficult but we had some positives to take away from Saturday's qualifying session.

"There's a lot more to achieve this season and we're working really hard to improve our race pace. We'll give it our all in Canada and look to have a positive race weekend."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.