Realistic McLaren refusing to get caught up in Norris podium hype
Realistic McLaren refusing to get caught up in Norris podium hype
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl is refusing to get swept away by the wave of optimism following Lando Norris' latest podium finish in Austria.
Norris has been one of the stand-out drivers this season, with his total of 101 points a career-high after just nine races compared to his previous best of 97 from last year's 17-grand prix campaign.
Norris' third place at the Red Bull Ring was the third time this year he has finished in the position, pushing him to within three points of third-placed Sergio Perez in the drivers' standings, yet Seidl is keeping his feet on the floor.
"There is no point hyping things that are not there," said Seidl, who appreciates his team are still not at the level of Red Bull and Mercedes.
"You need to be realistic. We had no chance to battle these four cars. There was a huge gap.
“We know exactly where we stand as a team and we know what the deficit is, and we know what the deficit is on the team side in terms of infrastructure and so on, so it is not a surprise that we are where we are."
McLaren on a "journey" to the top
In the eyes of many long-term F1 fans, the McLaren name is one that is synonymous with success.
On the day of the Austrian Grand Prix, however, it had been 3,143 days since Jenson Button last stood on the top step of the podium for McLaren at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. In this time, 166 grands prix have taken place.
“We are on a journey, we have a clear plan of how we want to reduce these deficits that will still take some years but the good thing is we have made steps," added Seidl.
“We are ambitious. We want to shortcut this journey as much as possible but there is no magic and I simply think it is always good to have a sense of realism and not get carried away with results like on Sunday.
"They are great and give good energy to the team but it doesn’t change the picture, the realistic picture that we have in terms of where we are.”
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Red Bull announce strong statement over Newey departure claims
- 13 minutes ago
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
- 1 hour ago
F1 champion reveals £100 MILLION contract to keep racing
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Newey 'property hunt' reveals Red Bull exit clues as Hamilton hints at Ferrari swoop
- 2 hours ago
Sky Sports F1 pundit calls for RADICAL change with impressive argument
- 3 hours ago
- 1
Newey TURNED DOWN F1 rivals before Red Bull decision
- Today 15:56
Related news
McLaren leading fight for HUGE cash injection
Young F1 star set to make McLaren debut in injury replacement
F1 star reveals how Verstappen and Hamilton rivalry influenced key decision
Norris reveals CRUCIAL save that kept him at McLaren
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