Formula 1

McLaren focus on fourth place championship battle in Brazil

2 Mins read
Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd.

McLaren F1 Team are taking a positive outlook as they head into the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos this weekend, hoping of increasing their points tally before the end of the season.

Carlos Sainz Jr. said that the race is always one of the highlights on the calendar, due to the track being steeped in history and the enthusiasm of the fans.

“Interlagos is a great circuit and certainly a fun place to go racing. The fans are always very passionate, and the history of the event speaks for itself,” he said.

The Spaniard added that the team go into the race with the intention of coming out with the best result they can, also wishing to secure fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

“We head to Brazil seeking to extract the maximum from our car and score more points on the board. The season is not over yet, with two more races to go, and there are still many points to fight for.”

He is also hoping to hold on to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.

“Confirming our fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship is the target and I’ll push hard until the end for that sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship, despite the difficulty of the task!”

Sainz Jr.’s team-mate, the British driver Lando Norris is also looking forward to the challenge presented by Interlargos, spending time in the simulator as much as possible to ensure he is as prepared as possible before getting out on track.

“I can’t wait to go racing in Brazil. It’s been the scene of some awesome races in the past, and I’m hoping for a good race of my own on Sunday,” said the Briton.

“Free Practice 1 last year gave me the opportunity to learn the track, but I’ve been working hard in the simulator to make sure I can maximise performance as soon as we get started on Friday.”

The 19-year-old said he recognised there are still areas to be worked on, but nevertheless, they would try and see if it is possible to take the fight to the top teams.

“There’s still work to be done and we’ll be pushing hard in every session to see how close we can get to the top teams. They’re still a long way off and our nearest rivals are very close but I’m looking forward to some good racing.”

Team principal Andreas Seidl said that the team’s overarching goal until the end of the season is to secure fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, after which time they will switch their focus to next season.

“After a weekend away from racing, it’s good to be heading back to the track for what we hope will be an exciting Grand Prix.

“As we come to the close of the season, our focus as a race team is on securing the fourth-place Constructors’ spot, before fully switching our attention to 2020,” said Seidl.

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F1 reporter for The Checkered Flag. Also a second year Journalism student at Robert Gordon University. Feel free to follow me on Twitter at @findlaygrant5.
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