Norris doesn't need McLaren 'pick me up' - Seidl

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl believes there is no need to pick Lando Norris up after a season-worst eighth-place finish in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Norris' weekend took a hit in qualifying when he was blocked in Q1 by Haas driver Nikita Mazepin on his first timed lap with the delay forcing the Briton to use a second set of soft tyres to ensure his progression.

This left him with only one set of fresh tyres for Q3 with Norris' sole lap good enough only for ninth-place at a circuit renowned for being near impossible to overtake at.

Asked how he could assist his driver to move beyond this tough weekend, Seidl said: “I don't think there is a need to pick him up. I spoke with him after the race and in the end, you need to accept how this weekend went.

"Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to finish higher up in qualifying despite having a car that had more potential. We all know about the circumstances so it is important then to move on.

"In the race, I think he did what he could do from his side and we did what we could do from the team’s side. It was simply not possible to do more than a P8 which is something you have to accept."

Despite a much improved Daniel Ricciardo scoring strong points for finishing sixth, McLaren was outscored by rivals Ferrari for the first time this year.

Seidl, however, refused to dwell on the negatives, adding: “I think you need to look also at the positive side.

"To move up even by one position on a track where it is difficult to overtake and it is important that we still managed to score 12 points on a race weekend where Ferrari was quite strong and we only lost today I think six points in the constructors’ championship.

“Lando so far has had an incredible start to this season with incredible performances so there is no need to pick him up. It is fine and I am sure he will strike back together with us in the next races.”

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