Andreas Seidl says it was important for his McLaren F1 Team to down the tools and relax during the summer break, particularly as the team are embroiled in a tight battle for third place in the Constructors’ Championship with Scuderia Ferrari.
Both McLaren and Ferrari are equal in points after the first eleven races, although the Italian outfit have the advantage due to second place finishes for Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc. Lando Norris has three podium finishes this year but has only a best finish of third.
Seidl, the Team Principal of McLaren, says they will need to hit the ground running in the second half of the season if they are to beat their long-time rivals in the championship, starting with this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
“Following a rest period over the summer shutdown for the team to rest, recharge and get ready for the second half of the season, we’re soon ready to go racing again,” said Seidl. “We’re currently in an intense battle with our closest rivals in the Constructors’ Championship and we know we’ll need to hit the ground running in Spa to keep up the pressure.
“The circuit at Spa is a really unique and exciting track and presents an interesting challenge for both our engineers and drivers.”
For the other McLaren driver, Seidl says this weekend will mark a special moment in the career of Daniel Ricciardo, with the Australian set to participate in his two hundredth Grand Prix, having debuted all the way back in the 2011 British Grand Prix for the HRT F1 Team.
The Team Principal is hoping it will be a weekend to remember, not just for the occasion but also the results for Ricciardo, who is still aiming for his first podium since joining McLaren at the beginning of 2021.
“This grand prix weekend is also a special moment for Daniel and the team, as we celebrate his 200th Grand Prix,” he said. “To reach this milestone is a really significant achievement and proves the level of experience he’s gained over his 10-year career.
“He joins an elite club of drivers in passing 200 Grands Prix, and we look forward to celebrating the weekend with him.”
Seidl says the team will be looking to start the second half of the season on the front foot this weekend in Belgium, the first race of a triple header that will also see races at the Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.
“As we head into another triple-header, the team are going to be working hard to pick up where we left off at the end of the first half of the season, scoring points at all bar one race,” said Seidl.
“The intense schedule is a challenge for the team, but one we’re ready to tackle head-on, both within the trackside team, and the team back at the factory, as well as with our colleagues at Mercedes HPP.
“I know the entire team are excited to get back out there and give it their all.”
