McLaren, satisfied with the work of Ricciardo and Norris despite some tensions

Eliminated from Q2 on Saturday but in the points at the finish on Sunday, both McLaren will have experienced a contrasting weekend. However, these six points acquired in Baku are undoubtedly welcome in the purse of the British team, while Andreas Seidl, the boss of the team, was delighted at the end of the Grand Prix. Between the two drivers, however, the race was not easy, between subliminal messages to the team to try to supplant the other and team instructions to maximize the points without attacking each other.

Ricciardo ahead of Norris, a first since Bahrain

Here are seven Grands Prix that Ricciardo hadn't finished ahead Norris. Suffice it to say, to the rhythm of F1, an eternity. The Australian has meanwhile experienced a complicated period to say the least, between disappointing performances and scathing media outings from the McLaren board. This weekend again, in Baku, Ricciardo did not start in the best way, with only a twelfth place in qualifying – Norris either, with the eleventh time. However, the two teammates moved up the rankings little by little, thanks to diametrically opposed but profitable strategies, and retirements which they took advantage of at the front of the race.

“Daniel and Lando worked together with the team and maximized everything that was in our hands today, explains Andreas Seidl after the race. We knew before the race that, with our top speed deficit on this circuit, we would struggle to overtake [Fernando] Alonso on the track, which ultimately did not allow us to progress further up the peloton despite trying a different strategy. »

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However, it was between teammates that the race was lively, it seems. At the start, Norris was ahead of an impatient Ricciardo, asking his team very early in the race if his teammate could increase his pace – let's understand, let me overtake him. If his request was not heard during the first seventeen laps, the young Briton's pit stop allowed the Australian to finally feel comfortable, relieved of the presence of Alonso as well.

“It was a hectic race with split strategies, so at the start I was a little faster than Lando on the hard tire, and there were some team instructions, then at the end he was faster on the hard and there were other team instructions, analyzes Daniel Ricciardo. Ultimately, I don't think we were fast enough to challenge Fernando, because although we were close on the straight, he was too fast. […] But otherwise, I think we maximized our result. I'm glad I had an easier weekend. »

Finally, the two friends found each other again, following several interventions by the virtual safety car. This time, in reverse order. But the vehemence of Norris, this time, almost ended up working, as at the pit wall, McLaren was pressing Ricciardo to get rid of Alonso still planted in front of them. The British team even tried to make the young British driver wait, promising him a chance if the Australian did not manage to overtake theAlpine.

A chance that Norris will ultimately never see present itself, and, although a team order has once again been established, the Briton still thought about getting rid of his teammate – he would undoubtedly have done so if the reward was none other than an eighth place.

“Given our starting positions and the performance we had with our package this weekend, we are happy to leave Baku with six points for the team,” summed up Seidl after the race, praising the behavior of his two drivers.

At the end of this somewhat eventful episode, McLaren surely avoided many problems internally by successively containing its two drivers. Finally, one left with a much greater confidence capital than in the last races, and the second will still have finished in the points, an unexpected classification at the start. The next Grand Prix, in Canada, will undoubtedly not favor the McLarens. But it would not be surprising to see them pull each other again, hoping for the same outcome at the checkered flag.