It is a euphoric McLaren that leaves Singapore. The Woking team celebrates the double points finish which, thanks to the retirements of both Alpines, allows the British team to grab the fourth place in the constructors’ standings. The result matured at the end of an insidious and complicated race, where patience and the absence of errors were rewarded.
The McLaren Team Principal commented on the result obtained in the first post-summer Asian trip: “Obviously I am very happy for today’s race. I think we made the right decisions in difficult conditions with both riders to maximize the result. The team at the wall found the right balance by communicating with the riders, trying to achieve a good result while remaining patient, without taking excessive risks. It would have been wrong to be rushed to switch to slick tiresbecause we were in a good position already at the end of the first stint ”. The keystone of the race was the delayed switch to slick tires, which made it possible to benefit from the entry of the Safety Car. Seidl, however, explained how the team’s strategy was not wait-and-see, but cautious: “It wasn’t necessarily about waiting for a safety car. As for Lando, the final position was more or less the one we occupied for most of the first stint. The most important thing today however was the work of Andrea Stella, our Race Director, together with the whole team, who secured the good result we had already built during the first stint, making sure we didn’t take unnecessary risks. Of course it was good to watch what George was doing after switching to medium tires early, and we realized it was an unnecessary risk. So we put in the safe the position in which Lando was already in any case, while with Daniel we obviously benefited from the entry of the Safety Car ”.
Lando Norris finished in fourth position, preceding his teammate Daniel Ricciardo who thus finds a smile after suffering months: “I’m also very happy for Daniel“comments Seidl. “Everyone who works on Daniel’s car was finally able to celebrate a great result, with a comeback from sixteenth to fifth. Prove Daniel’s commitment once again. […] In these difficult conditions, Daniel proved to be a top driver, which we have never doubted. This will be a great confidence boost for him and his team to score other points between now and the end of the year ”.
In Singapore, the Woking team introduced heavy upgrades to Lando Norris’ car, covering sides, air intakes, bottom and diffuser. However, the Team Principal did not unbalance their effectiveness: “It is premature to say that the updates are actually a step forward. It was an unusual weekend, with bizarre weather and an atypical circuit design. Now we go to Suzuka, on a more traditional track, where we will evaluate the updates on both cars. The goal was clear, which is why we pushed so hard at the factory on manufacturing the upgrades. Obviously we want to find more performance this year to be able to beat the Alpines, but we also want to find the direction to take for next year’s development ”.
Andreas Seidl was asked about the race management’s decision to postpone the start to allow the track to be cleaned, a choice that meets the approval of the McLaren home number one: “I think it was the right thing to do. After the shower the track was cleaned, so that we could mount the intermediates. Without this there would have been no conditions to start the race safely. What would be the point of leaving and then seeing everyone crash because of aquaplaning? Nobody wants to see this. This is why I believe that every single decision has been correct ”. Equally positive is Seidl’s judgment on the unhurried concession for the use of the DRS: “For me, safety must always have priority and I have no problem with the decisions made today. Again, what’s the point of seeing machines go to the wall? We have the best drivers in the world and they know how to handle these cars responsibly, but with such treacherous conditions and some parts of the track still wet, I think it was the right decision ”.
McLaren now occupies the fourth position in the constructors’ standings, an unexpected result at the start of the year when the team rowed at the back of the pack in Bahrain. The recovery of the Woking team is the manifesto of the team’s development capacity, but Andreas Seidl remains cautious about the possibility of hooking up the top stables: “I’m happy with today’s result and 22 points, but at the same time to be honest we benefited from Alpine’s race problems. Under normal circumstances it would have been another close fight between us. But all of this is part of racing and when opportunities arise as a team you need to make sure you get the job done. I keep a realistic look on the next year too. The gap that separates us from the top teams remains large. Obviously we are trying hard to take a step forward next year, when we have also ascertained the weaknesses of the current car, a job in which I believe the team is doing a great job. We must try to improve, however, also as a team. We need more time simply to become a better team, to hone our working methods and get to the level of others. Likewise, we need more time to reinforce our infrastructure, especially the wind tunnel, which is the main development tool in Formula 1 and will be the key to making this great leap. All the pieces will fit together in the coming months, although obviously it will take time to reap the first fruits. I want to be optimistic that we can close the gap from the top, but the most important thing for me is to take this step forward as a team. This will be the key to getting back to fighting steadily for victory. Even this year with the difficult start we had, due to the brake problem that was not solved in time for Bahrain, we have made a lot of progress as a team. I saw a great reaction after Bahrain from the whole team to implement all stages of development so as to recover from the false start in Bahrain and finish fourth in the league. I am confident that we are on the right track and that we could reach the goal in the coming years. It’s about the balance between being optimistic and realistic, as well as being patient “
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