Stoffel Vandoorne says McLaren-Honda must “maximise every single opportunity” in Monaco as it bids to claw its way into the top 10 around the streets of the Principality.
The operation has struggled in 2017, amid a lack of reliability and performance, with neither Vandoorne nor Fernando Alonso having scored a point, leaving the team last in the standings.
The characteristics of the Circuit de Monaco have allowed McLaren to score points in both years since reuniting with Honda, while Vandoorne placed 11th in practice on Thursday, in front of team-mate Jenson Button, standing in for Indianapolis-bound Alonso.
The Belgian, who carries a three-place grid penalty after colliding with Felipe Massa in Spain, believes McLaren must profit from its relative competitiveness around the Monegasque streets.
“If you look at the lap-times, you can see how extremely tight it is in the midfield – and that’s exactly where we are,” he said.
“That means we really need to maximise every single opportunity that comes our way this weekend so we can eke out every last bit of performance from the car.
“An extra tenth or two could make a huge difference in Saturday’s qualifying.
“I’m feeling pretty comfortable in the car. I think we’ll make some small adjustments ahead of FP3, and those should hopefully help us take another slight step forward.
“The most important thing around here is to build up throughout the weekend, and to be fully prepared for qualifying.
“I think we can be in good shape for that. There’s still more to come from us this weekend.”
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