McLaren boosted by "all-rounder" that is "closer" to Mercedes and Red Bull
McLaren boosted by "all-rounder" that is "closer" to Mercedes and Red Bull
McLaren's sensational start to the current F1 season has led team principal Andreas Seidl to label the MCL35M "an all-rounder" after visiting three vastly differing circuits.
In the heat of Bahrain, the damp of Imola and the gusts of Portimão, the McLaren MCL35M has shone consistently, particularly in the hands of Lando Norris.
McLaren has only been outscored by title challengers Mercedes and Red Bull in the early stages, although the team did claim more points from Imola than the Silver Arrows after Valtteri Bottas crashed out.
Assessing the car overall, Seidl said: “For us, obviously, it is great to see that after three races now I would say that we have definitely had all race a car that was there in terms of being the third-best car each weekend.
“It is quite marginal to our main competitors in this fight but again it looks like we have an all-rounder because again we were there in all three races.
"You can see already with some other cars that there are some ups and downs again depending on the race tracks which is a positive."
After the opening three races, McLaren holds the unique distinction of being the only team to have scored points with both cars at each race.
Although in the third-fastest car, Norris still trailed Portuguese GP winner Lewis Hamilton by 51 seconds at the chequered flag but Seidl believes this can be viewed only as a positive as last year the team would have been lapped.
He added: “Overall, I think what is still very encouraging to see is obviously that both on Saturday and Sunday we again made a good step forward closer to the Red Bull and Mercedes cars.
“We shouldn’t forget that probably in a race like this last year where Lewis and Max went flat out until the last lap, which didn’t happen much last year because Mercedes could allow many times last year to cruise, last year they would have lapped us.
“If you look at it from this side, again, we have managed to make a good jump forward in terms of the lap-time deficit which is positive.
"We know we still simply need to keep working hard. We need to make big steps in order to get back to fight these guys back on track.
“That is not something that happens overnight, it takes time, but the important thing is that we make these continuous steps and therefore I am very happy with what I am seeing."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Brundle questions Ferrari Hamilton decision with Vettel comparison
- 40 minutes ago
McLaren driver opens F1 'school' with stars among SHOCK first students
- 1 hour ago
F1 Chinese Grand Prix weather forecast - latest today from Shanghai
- 1 hour ago
F1 champion claims team may WRITE OFF Chinese GP sprint race
- 2 hours ago
Verstappen SLAMS key F1 Chinese Grand Prix decision
- 3 hours ago
Schumacher's personal collection to be sold in MEGA-MONEY auction
- Today 10:57
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
-
GP JAPAN
5 - 7 Apr
Max Verstappen
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
- GP CANADA 7 - 9 Jun
Related news
F1 star reveals how Verstappen and Hamilton rivalry influenced key decision
Norris reveals CRUCIAL save that kept him at McLaren
F1 star hints future Ferrari move after Hamilton influence
McLaren reveal SECOND key F1 departure within week
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860