McLaren set to investigate their recent over-performing upgrades ahead of the F1 Canadian GP

McLaren is set to investigate the reason behind the recent upturn in performance that can be traced back to the raft of upgrades introduced during the Miami GP, which helped Lando Norris win his maiden F1 race. The Woking-based squad overhauled the MCL38 in the sixth round of the season, with the upgrades transforming the team from a podium contender to a threat for race wins.

Since introducing the upgrades, the team has recorded a race win and two P2 finishes. Team Principal Andrea Stella explained that the team anticipated an overall increase in downforce with the upgrade package.

However, the new parts seem to have improved the handling characteristics in the slow corners, beating the estimates. Stella was quoted as saying by Autosport:

"What we see and what we expected is just more downforce in all conditions. But the car, compared to what we expected, seems to be well-behaved also in low-speed - possibly slightly more than we anticipated based on our development tools, which is good news."

McLaren has previously struggled in slow-speed corners while being competitive in high-speed corners. The upgrades seemed to have sorted out the issue, providing a much more stable platform in slow-speed corners.

Ahead of the Canadian GP, Andrea Stella insists that it is pivotal to understand the additional gains made in slow corners as it could help choose the right development direction, which could potentially offer more rewards down the path.

"But obviously this is something that we need to understand very accurately, so that we have the right information to further develop in this direction, because it seems to be very profitable for lap time and also seems to make us competitive in circuits which have low-speed corners," Stella added.

It'll be crucial for the Woking-based squad to glean insights from the over-performing upgrades as it aims to win the development race this season.

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Oscar Piastri is optimistic about McLaren's prospects at different tracks

After scoring his first podium result of the season at the Monaco GP, Oscar Piastri is beaming with confidence as he anticipates McLaren to be competitive at a wide range of tracks this season.

The Aussie driver elaborated that the team previously relied on high-speed circuits for good results, while the upgrades seemed to have transformed their performance in slow-speed corners, as was evident in the Monaco GP. Piastri said in the Monaco GP post-race press conference (via F1.com):

"Let's say our car's never been the strongest in the slow corners, and this weekend we've been very quick again. So I think we can be confident wherever we go. I feel like we don't have to rely on the high-speed circuits like we did last year to get our results, which is a very exciting thing to have going forward."

McLaren currently sits third in the constructors standings at 184 points, trailing Red Bull Racing by 92 points in the lead, and 68 points behind Ferrari in second place.