McLaren title push won't be hindered by Mercedes - Seidl

Andreas Seidl has insisted McLaren's quest for F1 title success will not be obscured by being a Mercedes power unit customer and praised the "sensational job" done by HPP.

McLaren has rediscovered some of its form of old in recent times as Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo have challenged Mercedes and Red Bull for podium positions.

With Australian Ricciardo heading home a one-two in Italy before Norris claimed pole position in style in Russia, hope has been rekindled that a championship assault could be made in the near future.

"First of all, the lap-time of a car is obviously the result of an entire package and the power unit plays an important role in that," said Seidl.

"When we made the decision that we wanted to go for the Mercedes power unit, there was a clear reason behind.

"We wanted to get the Championship-winning power unit at the back of our car because it simply gives us the best possible reference to know where we are as a team.

"I’m convinced, looking forward, that with a Mercedes power unit at the back of our car, even in this customer relationship we are having with the regulations how they are in place, also nowadays, that this is not in the way of fighting for championships again in the future."

This season is the first with the McLaren-Mercedes partnership back together since the team switched to Honda power in 2015.

With Covid restrictions complicating the bedding in process between the two parties, Seidl praised the work done over the winter to ensure a smooth transition between chassis and engine development.

"I’m just very happy, I have to say looking at these first months in this relationship, how it started," added Seidl.

"Again, I think both teams in Brixworth and in Woking have done a sensational job over the winter and the COVID restrictions as well, in order to integrate this power unit into our car.

"We were really ready from the first test onwards without any reliability issues, which is a great result, and I think the results we could score this year, together with the great work the team in Woking has also done on the car side, speak for themselves."

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