Pastor Maldonado has praised Lotus for turning around their ailing season with a promising showing at the Spanish Grand Prix.

While the Venezuelan is still without any points this season, teammate Romain Grosjean registered his best finish of the season with eighth place in Barcelona and Maldonado admits that he is heartened by their recent performances.

He told reporters: "The car has made a big step forward from where we were. I think it is a great boost for everyone at Enstone and of course as a driver it gives me more confidence in the car so I can aim to achieve better results.

"If you think about where we were and where we are now it is an incredible step forward – particularly when the other teams are moving forward with their development too.

"It's a true testament to the team's capabilities and I hope we can start to get the results on track that we so deserve."

Next Sunday will see the Formula 1 grid compete in one of its flagship races, the Monaco Grand Prix.