This time around, things are different for Lance Stroll.

At just 18 years old, the Canadian had an up-and-down rookie Formula One season. But he has one thing this year he didn’t in 2017 – experience.

“I picked up a lot of experience throughout the year. Looking back at where I was this time last year, so much has happened and I’m ready to get back to it and looking forward to having a good year with some good results. That’s the goal,” Stroll, now 19, told TSN.ca.

Last year, the Williams product failed to finish his first three races but rebounded with back-to-back top-10 finishes two months later, including a third place showing in Azerbaijan. He finished the season 12th in F1 with 40 points – 23 more than two-time world champion Fernando Alonso – but finished well back of Lewis Hamilton’s first-place total of 363. Stroll is the only Canadian to race on the F1 grid since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.

“I still look at it as a learning process. Even though it’s the second year I know I’m 19 and there’s a lot more drivers with more experience than me. So I have that in my mind but at the same time I want to challenge myself.”

One of the areas he struggled with most last season was qualifying. Stroll started with a top-10 grid position just twice in 20 races, but made up ground in 11 of the 16 races he finished. He says he’s been working hard to fix that in 2018.

“I’ve really been working on my qualifying over the winter, that was one of my weakest points last year,” he said.

What steps did he take?

“In the simulator for sure, but there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes but a lot of it comes from experience and now knowing where I stand and what to do because I have basically driven every track once. I’ve experienced all the different circumstances of the track.”

Other things, like learning to adjust to track conditions and temperature changes, also come with experience.

“Sometimes at a practice free session [in the afternoon and then the following at night], there’s a 20-degree difference in track temperature. But now, I’ve been there and I’ve done it… so it’s definitely a big help,” Stroll said.

While 2018 will be about building off what he learned last season, there’s still going to be adjustments. Like a new teammate.

At the end of the 2016 season, Brazilian driver Felipe Massa planned to retire but changed his mind after Valtteri Bottas suddenly left Williams to join Mercedes. After racing alongside Stroll, Massa walked away for good at the end of last season.

Enter 22-year-old Russian Sergey Sirotkin, who will join with Stroll to form the youngest tandem in F1. Without a veteran by his side, Stroll says his outlook hasn’t changed going into the year.

“To be honest I don’t think [Massa’s departure] really changes anything. It was great having the experience and to have help developing the car sometimes and all that, but my job remains the same,” he said.

Another change Stroll will have to get used to for the coming season is F1’s new halo, which will be mandated on every car for the first time in 2018. The halo is a frontal protection system made of titanium that sits above the car’s cockpit and is intended to protect the driver’s head. 

Its implementation has stirred up some controversy with drivers. Stroll, too, has mixed feelings.

“I’m not a huge fan to be honest. I don’t love the look. It kind of takes away a bit of the whole F1 concept which is having your head exposed so that’s not great,” he said.

“But at the same time it can save lives and I’m on board with that.”

While it adds weight to the car and is bound to present a learning curve, Stroll doesn’t think it will be too much of an advantage or disadvantage because everyone is dealing with the same thing.

This season starts Sunday in Melbourne, a race the Canadian did not finish last year because of brake trouble.

“It’s a new year. Last year we had brake problems in the race and those kinds of things are out of my control. But I’m just going to approach it like it’s another weekend. It’s a very long year. It’s only the first race so after a few weeks you know what to work on, what to improve on and we’ll go from there. But it’s the first race of the year, anything can happen and looking at the weather it’s up in the air. There could be some rain on Saturday or Sunday so anything can happen.”