What a difference a week makes. McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl readily admits he walked into the McLaren Technology Center with a significant headache the morning after a frustrating Dutch Grand Prix – a race in which the team got away with a single point. Fast forward a week and Andreas suffered from another headache, but this time for a completely different reason.
After McLaren’s first win in nine years and a historic double victory at the Italian Grand Prix, he looks back on an important weekend in Monza for the team …
Nine years. It’s certainly been a while since McLaren last enjoyed that feeling of victory. And doing it the way we did with a one-two is even better.
I am so incredibly proud of every single team member, both on the track and in the MTC, and of our colleagues from Mercedes HPP. We clinched a double victory: with a competitive car, a reliable car, the fastest pit stop, the fastest lap and a great strategy. Perhaps most importantly, we were able to withstand the pressure that came from knowing we had a competitive car at Monza, from a tough race at Zandvoort and the last race of a triple header. We knew we had to take the chance to score good points at the Italian Grand Prix and to deliver under that pressure showed once again that we already have a lot of ingredients to fight at the top.
We remain ambitious as ever, but at the same time realistic. It is important that we keep our feet on the ground; we still have a lot to do. There will no doubt be challenges as we continue our way back to the top of the grid, but if we keep working hard and sticking together as a team, I am confident that we can take the next step in the years to come.
Everyone on the team has played an important part in bringing us back to the top of the podium, but I would like to dedicate a few words to our drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. In Formula 1 you need a lot of things to be successful, but when you take it all back you need two people – the heroes of our sport – who are behind the wheel to perform and make it; that is what both Daniel and Lando did at the Italian Grand Prix. I am very proud of their performance in Monza and the team spirit they showed.
What Lando has achieved so far this year is incredible and matters all the more as Daniel took the time to familiarize himself with the car. Lando was up to date from the start. The maturity he‘It’s shown and the progress he’s made is extremely impressive. He delivered at every Grand Prix and that was crucial for our fight for third place in the constructors’ championship.
For Daniel there is a reason why we wanted to bring him into the team: He is a proven race winner. He knows how to deliver, and that’s exactly what he did at the Italian Grand Prix. He’s a great racing driver, one of the best in Formula 1, and he’s not bad company outside of the car either. It took a while to get used to it – a team change is very complex, we all know that – but it is gratifying to see how he tackled this challenge together with the team. The Monza win was a great reward for his determination and hard work.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my leadership team, Piers Thynne (Executive Director, Operations), James Key (Executive Director, Technical) and Andrea Stella (Executive Director, Racing) who are excellent at managing their areas and working with the various departments. We are fully coordinated and share the same vision of how we want to bring McLaren back to the top in Formula 1, which is very satisfying and a lot of fun.
It was great to celebrate such a special result with the team at the MTC last week. The emotions we’ve experienced since the Italian Grand Prix are the reason I love motorsport and it’s important that we enjoy these moments together as a team. Let’s keep pushing so that we can experience that feeling of victory again. This is for the team, our fans and partners. I am sure there is more to come!
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The post McLaren Racing – It’s been a while … first appeared on monter-une-startup.
