Andreas Seidl: The Imola podium as proof of progress at McLaren

McLaren was particularly behind in this early season. From the winter tests, the team showed failures in the brakes and a serious lack of aerodynamics. During the last Australian Grand Prix, drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo started to make progress with a fifth place for the British driver and a sixth place for his teammate.

After Imola, the assessment is mixed at McLaren. On one hand, Daniel Ricciardo finishes last after the retirements of Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz and is one lap behind the leader Max Verstappen. On the other hand, Lando Norris secures his first podium of the season, finishing behind the two Red Bulls of Verstappen and Perez.

For the team principal of the team, Andreas Seidl, these results show that McLaren is on the right track in its development. It’s good to see that we have this consistency, explained Seidl. It’s also great to see that we have confirmation that Melbourne was not an exception but that the MCL36 is a good car with solid foundations for future developments.

Of course, in order to get a podium in this situation, one of the two cars must have a problem with the Red Bulls and the Ferraris, because they are a notch above in terms of performance. But at the same time, it’s not just about performance. It’s about managing the race weekend well, which is what we did,” concluded Andreas Seidl.