Mat Coch writes:

After an improved showing in Monaco, which netted Jenson Button sixth place, McLaren seems to have re-discovered a sense of quiet optimism.

Speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, McLaren Sporting Director Sam Michael claimed there are indications the team is moving forward, and while it is not as fast as the team would like it is at least heading in the right direction.

"The most important thing when you're at the bottom of a trough and working your way back out of it again, which we definitely are, is to make sure you see progress," said Michael during the latest Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in.

"Monaco is quite a special case; the car was good around there," he added. "It was good to see both the cars fighting, at least the Ferrari's and the Lotus'."

How indicative that pace was remains to be seen given Nico Rosberg carefully controlled the pace to preserve his tyres. But, with another set of upgrades being fitted to the cars this weekend, Michael at least suggested the team is more confident now than it was two weeks ago.

Much of that comes down to the updates which have been bolted on in recent races, especially after an untidy Spanish Grand Prix weekend when the team rushed parts to Barcelona only for them to arrive too late and unapproved.

This weekend the team once again has an array of new parts.

"I would say they're more parts we're putting on the car to investigate different things rather than a comprehensive update," Michael explained. "The last few small steps we've put on the car have worked and as long as we keep doing that we'll gradually keep moving towards the front."

However the early running on Friday will likely be dominated by teams trying the 'prototype' Pirelli rubber, if the weather remains fine, though rain is forecast. The extra tyres, which Pirelli has developed as a possible replacement medium compound from the British Grand Prix onwards, should encourage teams to run during the first half of the opening ninety minute session.

"For the first sort of forty to forty-five minutes of the sessions the teams don't use very heavily," said Michael. "You're saving tyres normally, waiting for the track to clean up. Normally you'd definitely do that at the Montreal circuit because it's not used that often so it ramps up quite a lot. It's basically just like a street circuit because it sits out on that island (and) there's a lot of moisture."

However armed with the development tyres Michael believes teams will head out on track, sporting pressure taps and flo-vis paint as they look to understand any change the new compound tyre has on their car. McLaren, still with ground to make up, will perhaps be working harder than most.