Seidl: Still a long way to go for McLaren as a team

A famous one-two at the Italian Grand Prix, two Sundays ago, with Daniel Ricciardo heading home Lando Norris ended a near-decade winless drought in fine style for the sport's second most successful team.

Speaking ahead of the weekend in Russia, Round 15 of the 2021 F1 World Championship, team boss Seidl said: “Achieving a one-two finish in Monza meant a lot to each and every member of the team, who have been working incredibly hard over the years. It’s been great to take the time to celebrate the result as a team at MTC last week."

But Seidl, plucked from Porsche by CEO Zak Brown to re-energise McLaren's F1 effort, warned in the team's Sochi preview: “There’s still a long way to go for us as a team through the remainder of the season. We will continue to keep our feet on the ground and our heads down as the battle in the Constructors’ Championship is still closely contested.

"Our key priorities remain the same: staying on top of reliability and parts management, extracting the best performance from our car alongside our colleagues at Mercedes HPP, and capitalising on every opportunity that presents itself."

As for the challenges of Sochi which, like Monza, should suit their Mercedes-powered package- the German manufacturer has won all the races at the venue since 2014 - Seidl said: “After a short break following the triple-header, the team is prepared and ready to head to Russia in the hunt for crucial points.

"The Sochi Autodrom is dominated by two long straights resulting in a high power sensitivity, however, the track presents relatively limited opportunities to overtake. Therefore, it’s key we maximise our results in qualifying to give both cars the best possible chance to fight higher up the grid on Sunday," added the German.

McLaren lie third in the 2021 F1 constructors' standings with 215 points, 13.5 points clear of Ferrari, ahead of the 2021 Russian Grand Prix on Sunday.