McLaren eye swift end of 2019 upgrades despite Sainz, Norris form

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says wok on the team's 2020 car is already well underway, with thoughts already turning to cancelling upgrades on the 2019 machine, despite an impressive start to the season.

McLaren are fourth in the constructors' championship after nine rounds, having secured 'best of the rest' honours behind the big three teams in three of the last four races.

Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris are seventh and eighth in the drivers' standings respectively, but Seidl says the team want to capitalise on their great start by starting 2020 even stronger.

"We began work on the 2020 car long ago," Seidl told Auto Motor und Sport. "The switch was done much earlier than last year.

"We are now in the process of planning when to completely stop the development of the current car and move all resources to the new car so that we can take the next step in 2020."

McLaren are in a position that many would have expected their engine supplier Renault to fill at this stage, perhaps none more so than the French team themselves.

Seidl has no qualms with battling McLaren's supplier and hopes it can be mutually beneficial to both.

"It's nice to hear that Renault continues to invest in its equipment," said Seidl.

"That's why we do not have a big headache about that. Their development over the past winter was very encouraging, and the latest updates always brought the promised progress."

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