McLaren’s performance since Formula 1’s summer break has outlined that it is now "clearly" in possession of the fourth-fastest package, according to Team Principal Andreas Seidl.
McLaren endured a difficult 2018 that prompted a managerial restructuring, with Seidl officially joining in May 2019, and it has made strides through the course of this season.
Carlos Sainz Jr. qualified half a second behind the Red Bull drivers in Japan and went on to race to fifth – equalling his and the team’s best 2019 result – as he trailed Alexander Albon by just nine seconds.
It strengthened McLaren’s grip on Renault in the battle for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with the two teams now separated by 34 points.
“There are a lot of positives to take away from Japan as it seems that we still keep improving the car and still keep understanding the car also better and better and it was really working well,” said Seidl.
“Also I’m happy with the execution of a different Sunday compared to other race weekends because it’s a change and we all live in this fixed schedule, fixed procedures and so on so it was a bit of a challenge, it’s the same for all but it’s a challenge to have these changes.
“For us, good to again score a few more points compared to Renault.
“So I’m happy we were able to extend the lead again to our competitors and I think we’ve seen now there is a kind of a trend in the last three or four races, we clearly have the fourth strongest car.
“I think we have everything in our hands now to secure this P4 at the end of the season which will be a great achievement for us as a team and at the same time it’s important now to stay flat out for next year’s car, make the next step.”
Sainz Jr.’s result lifted him to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship and Seidl praised the Spaniard’s focus amid a string of difficult races after the summer break.
“He is having a strong season, but from the first race onwards obviously he was [strong],” said Seidl.
“He had three races at the beginning [of the season] and three after the summer break scoring no points which was putting him on the back foot.
“It is a good thing that he didn’t get distracted by that, he just kept his focus up together with his engineering crew also and also they keep improving together as a team.
“[With] Carlos it is great to see what he is pulling off both in the qualifying and in the race.”
