Oscar Piastri says fighting for a podium in F1 was but a "distant dream" in the first part of the season until McLaren's spectacular summer turnaround.
At the outset, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella warned that the Woking-based outfit would struggle to meet its expectation for 2023, having insufficiently developed its MCL60 before it was rolled out for the first race of the season.
Stella's cautioning proved right, with McLaren scoring points in only three of the first eight races of its campaign, with Lando Norris delivering to the outfit its best result – a P6 – in Australia, where Piastri claimed his first top-ten finish.
However, behind the scenes, McLaren's engineers dug in and put their head down, guided by Stella's comprehensive development plan that would enable team papaya to catch up with its ambitions for the season.
And McLaren's hopes, and that of its drivers, panned out from Austria onwards, with the team's upgrade cycle and the subsequent progress of its MCL60 putting it in the mix for a spot among F1's frontrunners behind Red Bull on race day.
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Norris' successive podiums at Silverstone and at the Hungaroring, complimented by Piastri's productive efforts, which included a P2 in Spa's sprint event, elevated the team to fifth in F1's Constructors' standings.
"I think before the season maybe we thought that that could be possible in the right circumstances, with maybe a few cars not finishing," Piastri said.
"Of course, once we got the season underway, it was a pretty distant dream that we'd be able to compete for the top three. And to now be here consistently for the last three weekends is pretty remarkable.
"It's been amazing for me of course. It's always a nice motivation when you know you can do a good job, the car is there to finish in the top three."
While happy with his recent performances, Piastri insists they haven't changed his own development plan as a driver.
"I don't think it changes too much of what I'm trying to do myself," he explained. "I'm always trying to get the most out of myself.
"I still have plenty to learn and just getting back up to speed with some things still, so from that aspect, it doesn't change too much.
"But when you can walk away with a trophy or a sprint plaque thing it's cool. So yeah, hopefully, we can get some more and keep pushing forward."
The 22-year-old rookie gave himself a good mid-season report card, but as smart as he is talented, Piastri knows that he is still a work in progress in terms of his personal development.
"I'm very happy where I am, I think my season's been quite good for the most part," he said.
"I think there's definitely been some mistakes or moments I wish I could have had again, but with hindsight, it's very easy to say those kinds of things.
"I'm happy with where I'm at driving-wise, there's still a lot to improve, a lot to learn.
"I've got a very strong team-mate to learn from who just by being a benchmark is a big help for me getting back up to speed, so yeah, I'm happy where I am."
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