McLaren, a place lost but reasons for satisfaction

McLaren evolved in territory hostile to Castellet. In front of an audience dedicated to the cause of French drivers and the French team Alpine, the Woking team had a lot to do on the Paul-Ricard circuit on Sunday. Especially since the battle for 4th place in the manufacturers' championship is tighter than ever, Alpine and McLaren being tied on points before the Provençal meeting.

At the end of this Franco-British duel, it is Alpine who emerged victorious, scoring 4 points more than McLaren. Obviously dissatisfied with having given up 4th place to the French manufacturer, Lando Norris et Daniel Ricciardo described a complicated ordeal to manage. “It was a tough day but I think it was what we expected, admitted the Briton. It was a long race and we struggled a bit with tire degradation. We weren't as fast as we needed to be. It was tough but I wouldn't say we're disappointed. »

Same story with the Australian, who finished in the top 10 for the second consecutive race. “These are points, so it’s positive. It's only ninth place but it's important, believes Ricciardo. I had a bit of pace at the start of the stint and tried to squeeze more out of it, but it fell apart a bit too quickly. I really struggled from the middle of the relay and I didn't have the pace to battle with the Alpine and Lando. I feel like I did the best I could, but it's not enough to make me happy. »

McLaren has “maximized what she had in her hands”, according to Seidl

McLaren had brought to France several major developments, particularly at the level of the pontoons and the floor. Improvements that seemed to work, according to Lando Norris. “ The developments have brought more performance and we will work to ensure that they are fully optimized in the next races. »

Andreas Seidl, director of the English team, declared that McLaren could not aim better at Castellet but that the developments brought a little optimism. “7th and 9th: we maximized what we had in our hands today. Alpine was a little faster but Lando and Daniel both had very good races. We leave Castellet with many positive points. The package of improvements we have introduced here has allowed us to take a step forward in terms of performance. »

In Hungary, on a more winding track which should better suit the MCL36, McLaren hopes to come back strong and recover its possession: that of 4th place in the championship.

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