Romain Grosjean is looking for a repeat of 2012 when he competes in this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Two years ago, Grosjean, from the Enstone-based Lotus team, finished second behind Lewis Hamilton, having started from seventh on the grid.

And he says a similar display would be welcome as he looks for his first podium finish of the season.

“I have very good memories from 2012 when I went from seventh on the grid to my first second place in Formula 1,” he said.

“It was a really great day and it was really a strong team result as we used a one-stop strategy to get on the podium after a disappointing qualifying session the day before.

“Last year wasn’t so good and we struggled with the wet weather and conditions.”

And he expects a tough test around the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.

He added: “The circuit is not used for the rest of the year so the grip will change a lot – something we’ll have to adapt to – and the weather can also be tricky.

“Hopefully it’ll be nice and sunny because it’s a race I really like – and it’s my favourite circuit to race on the Xbox.

“The last chicane is a notable feature and overall it’s a good track.”

Grosjean is keen to build on his eighth-place finish of Monaco.

“We didn’t give up. We scored points and we know where to improve the car, which is not quick enough in low speed corners and certainly we’re trying to get more power for Canada too.

“I believe our downforce is pretty good so it’s mechanical grip we’re after.

“Even at Monaco we improved the car, even if it didn’t look like it on the timesheets.

“It’s always easy to go quick when the car is good. You just have to concentrate on your driving. “When the car is a bit more tricky you have to think about your driving and what the car is doing, because it can react unpredictably.

“Add to that all the different systems management we now do in the car, it becomes a real mental test.”

Meanwhile, his teammate, Pastor Maldonado, is determined to get his first point after a wretched start to the season.

He said: “I think it would be good to have a trouble-free weekend and finish the race strongly in the points.

“With the variable weather we’ve seen there in the past, anything can happen in Montreal, however I would like to see us bringing home some good points for the team.

“It will be tough as it’s going to be such a tricky track for us, however if we can put in a solid performance and get the most out of the car then I think we could be in a good position.

“I’m trying to do better from my side and also to help the engineers improve the car. This is a crucial moment for the team, approaching the middle of the season.

“We need to push very hard to recover what we lost at the beginning.

“We always knew it was going to be tough to start with, but the key is not to panic, we’ll just keep our heads down and quietly work harder, do more and do better to catch up, and overtake the other teams.

“We’re capable of it, there’s no doubt about that, and while it’s always frustrating not to be on the podium where we belong, this is part of the story.

“It’s very easy to just give up, but I think it will make us stronger in the end.”