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McLaren heads into round two of this year's Formula 1 championship with both drivers with points on the board and a car it believes can compete near the front of the grid.
It is a far cry from 12 months ago when the 2023 McLaren early on looked like it could be one of the season's backmarkers.
But after a mid-season renaissance that led to McLaren finishing fourth in the constructors' championship, the famed British team has continued its form into 2024.
Lando Norris and Australian Oscar Piastri both qualified in the top 10 in Bahrain and finished the season's first grand prix sixth and eighth respectively.
There is a sense of confidence and optimism around the team based out of the UK town of Woking, and it is being expressed by its drivers.
"We're in a better position this year and it feels good to have already secured some points in the first race," Piastri said ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
"We noted some things to improve on over the week, which we'll aim to address this weekend. We'll do our best to close off this double-header with another double points."
Last weekend's race in Bahrain was a happier experience for the Australian than 12 months ago, his maiden grand prix in F1.
Piastri lasted just 13 laps in 2023's edition before being forced to retire.
Following a promising start to his second season in F1, Piastri said he felt improvements in his driving coming off his rookie season.
"I personally felt like it was a good race for myself, and I think the race pace we had seemed OK," he said last Sunday.
"A few things to improve, but not a bad first race for us, especially when you look at where we were this time last year."
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