Andreas Seidl has praised the hard work being done by everyone within the McLaren F1 Team and at Mercedes High Performance Powertrains after the Woking-based outfit secured their second podium of 2021 in the Monaco Grand Prix last time out.
Lando Norris took a superb third place in Monaco, fending off the challenge of Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Pérez in the closing laps, although there was disappointment on the other side of the garage as Daniel Ricciardo failed to break into the top ten.
However, Seidl, the Team Principal at McLaren, has welcomed the strong start to the 2021 season and thanked everyone attached to the team for their efforts so far this season. However, it came with a word of caution as it could all unravel quickly if they take their foot off the gas.
“After an eventful weekend in Monaco, that saw us on the podium for the second time in five races, our attention now turns to another exciting street circuit in Baku,” said Seidl. “We’re continuing to make a good start to the season through the hard work of the entire team both at the factory and the track alongside our colleagues at Mercedes HPP.
“However, we need to remain focused and look to keep consolidating our performances one race weekend at a time. It’s crucial we stay on top of reliability, make the right calls and extract the most from our package to stay in the closely-contested fight with our competitors.”
Seidl says it will be important for McLaren to find the right balance in Azerbaijan this weekend to cope with the demands of the long straight and the tight and twisty middle section of the lap. He also knows, like Monaco, there will be no margin for error.
“It’s great to be returning to Baku after missing it last season due to the pandemic,” he added. “In comparison to Monaco, Baku has very different characteristics that make it a different challenge this weekend.
“The contrast in the layout sees an unusually long straight for a street circuit, with numerous slow corners that will present opportunities and challenges for the teams. Finding the optimal balance to get the best from the car will be key.
“The general nature of street circuits also leaves no margin for error. We’re ready to go racing and fight for some good points this weekend.”
