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Oscar Piastri has consecutive top-10 finishes to start the Formula 1 season and now heads to his hometown hoping to continue McLaren's good form.
The Australian has happy memories of Albert Park, securing his first F1 championship points during last year's Australian Grand Prix.
Heading into this Sunday's race, Piastri now finds himself in a car that is competing near the front of the grid.
A skilful drive last time out in Saudi Arabia secured fourth place for Piastri, backing up his eighth-placed finish in the season-opener at Bahrain.
McLaren sits third in the F1 constructors' championship after two rounds, with Piastri keen to maintain that position in front of a passionate crowd.
"We've had a positive start, with a P4 finish in Saudi. I was back in the [factory] last week reviewing all the data to see where we can maximise our performance," he said.
"I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of papaya [McLaren's colour] in the crowd this weekend.
"It's going to be a great race week, and I'm sure that there will be an awesome atmosphere."
One area of concern for McLaren after the opening rounds is their lack of straight-line speed.
While the British-based team has built a car that is quick through corners, McLaren has been found lacking top speed.
It is an issue not lost on team principal Andrea Stella, who said his team wants to build on Piastri's fourth place in Saudi Arabia and fight for podiums.
"We come away from the first double header of the season with good points and strong on-track performances from Lando [Norris] and Oscar," he said.
"It's important we carry this momentum through whilst placing a keen focus on the areas we still need to develop, so that we're in a position to fight for podiums."
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