The final of the Russian Grand Prix was a very hard blow for McLaren to take. A step away from the second consecutive victory in Formula 1, the Woking team paid a heavy price for Lando Norris’ decision not to stop immediately to mount the intermediates. The # 4, very close to obtaining his first career victory, did not have the right clarity to assess the changing weather conditions, also because he was assured by the wall that the track would not get worse. This was not the case, and the track went from wet to wet. The biggest responsibility therefore lies with the team, which had better and more precise information than the young driver. The box has not been able to impose and let Lando drive in impossible conditions, throwing away another sensational victory.
Team principal Andreas Seidl, having swallowed the bitter morsel, returned to analyze the facts of Sochi: “I think what happened it will strengthen him and the team. These are the moments when you learn the most on a collective level. It’s always easy when everything goes according to plan. It was clear, it was a big disappointment but the Sochi Grand Prix was an opportunity to learn for the next few occasions. Lando has a lot of time in front of him to take the victory and has enough experience with the team to come back even stronger from the next Grand Prix.“, These are the words of the German according to what he reported RaceFans. “The whole team has to learn from last Sunday, but on the other hand we are on a path to return to victory in Formula 1. We have a clear growth plan that will lead us to face Mercedes and Red Bull, part of this journey is the acceptance of defeat and disappointment. It is an opportunity to stay grounded. For the rest, of course we are pleased that on some occasions, depending on the track, we are able to fight for pole position and for victory.“.