Andreas Seidl says the McLaren F1 Team will be looking to put the disappointment of their no-score in the Canadian Grand Prix behind them this weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard, with the team looking for big points in order to consolidate their fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Lando Norris was an early retirement at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after experiencing a suspension failure, caused by overheating brakes, while team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. just missed out on points in eleventh, losing two places late in the day to Lance Stroll and Daniil Kvyat as he attempted to make a set of tyres last sixty-seven laps.
Seidl, the team principal of the Woking-based team, says the margin between having a good or bad weekend is extremely narrow, particularly with how tight the midfield battle is this season, with McLaren currently sitting fourth in the standings but now only two points clear of the revitalised Renault F1 Team, who finished sixth and seventh in Canada.
“We head back to Europe ready to push again,” insists Seidl. “The French Grand Prix is an event steeped in history and the current circuit offers good opportunities for racing; I’m looking forward to visiting.
“The midfield battle is proving to be very close and competitive. Canada showed that the margin between a good weekend and a not so good weekend is extremely narrow.”
Seidl says McLaren are looking to maximise their performance at ‘every opportunity’, and he feels the team still has plenty to play for across the remainder of the season.
“As a team, we continue to focus on our race weekend execution, as well as developing and improving the MCL34 at each race weekend,” said Seidl. “With two-thirds of the season left to go, we still have a lot to play for.
“We are pushing hard to maximise our performance at every opportunity.”
