It was a fairly standard Qualifying for the McLaren F1 Team based on their 2022 season, with Lando Norris once again excelling for the team whilst Daniel Ricciardo disappointed. The Brit will start the Dutch Grand Prix from seventh on the grid, whereas the Aussie will line-up in seventeenth.
The MCL36 has looked considerably better this weekend in Zandvoort than it did last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, with both drivers having looked quick all weekend. Norris was once again best of the rest on Saturday, with the top three teams simply being capable of extracting more performance from their cars.
Ricciardo’s Qualifying One elimination wasn’t entirely his fault, the Honey Badger lost three-tenths due to dirt having been kicked up onto the circuit at the penultimate corner. Ricciardo ended up sliding through the dirt, costing him a slot in the second part of Qualifying.
Due to Ricciardo’s misfortune the day ended with Team Principal Andreas Seidl having “mixed emotions”, after the car had been competitive all weekend at the Dutch venue.
“Mixed feelings after qualifying here in Zandvoort. Lando had a very strong run, got everything out of the car, and finished Q7. Daniel was unlucky with the incident in front of him, which cost him the chance of progressing, and he starts P17.
“The car has been competitive so far this weekend, and we made improvements overnight which have put us in a decent position. Qualifying just behind the top three teams is a strong result, demonstrating we have the pace to score good points tomorrow. Our full focus is on race prep, and we’re looking forward to an exciting Dutch Grand Prix in front of an unbelievable crowd.”
