McLaren reveal the only way they can compete with top three

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl believes that McLaren can eventually compete with Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull - but only when the 2021 budget cap is introduced.

They are one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport, having won the constructors’ championship on eight occasions with only Ferrari and Williams winning more. However, Lewis Hamilton's 2008 drivers' title is their only success in two decades and the team has fallen into the midfield in recent years.

There have been definite signs of improvement in 2019 with Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz impressing behind the wheel, but they are still some way off the top three teams in terms of competitiveness and ranking.

Seidl reckons they have everything in place to compete for the title, but needs the budget cap to come first.

“It is fact that we as a team clearly underachieve with the possibilities we have – infrastructure, budget, know-how,” he told Autosport.

“We should be better with what we have. I’m not a friend of constantly looking for excuses within the regulations or budget differences.

“At the moment, my focus is to first of all unleash the potential of the team with the circumstances we have.

“The next step is that the 2021 regulations will hopefully go in the right direction.

“One thing is clear: if we want to be competitive in the future and fight with the others, then we need a level playing field.

“For a team like us, the budget cap is the only way we can ever fight with the three big teams again.”

After the first nine races of 2019, McLaren are fourth in the constructors’ championship, accumulating 52 points so far.

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