Seidl: There's no time to let down our guard

Seidl who was was previewing the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix in his team's media preview saying: "After an incredible atmosphere last time out in Austin, we head to Mexico anticipating much of the same.

"The Mexico City Grand Prix kicks off an intense period of racing for the team, with three back-to-back races and plenty of long flights," he went on.

"This scenario brings plenty of challenges, but also plenty of opportunities, and we'll be working hard to extract maximum performance at each race. Mexico offers a unique challenge in terms of set-up that can often shake up the competitive order.

"The high altitude and thinner air mean we run higher levels of downforce than we usually might on a circuit like Mexico, and that can be tricky to get right," the German explained. "We've been working in the simulator to ensure we have as much data as possible heading into the weekend."

Seidl then touched on his team's ongoing fight with Ferrari to secure third in the Constructors' standings.

"With only five races left of the season, we know that every race counts and that there's no time to let down our guard," the 45-year-old warned.

"We know it will be a challenge to retain our position in the Constructors' Championship, but it's a challenge we're ready for.

"We'll maintain our focus on the variables we can impact and keep up the pressure on those around us," Seidl concluded.

Daniel Ricciardo enjoyed his weekend Stateside, reveling in the Texas atmosphere and racing to a strong fifth on Sunday beating the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz on his way.

"I'm looking forward to heading back to Mexico, it's been too long," Ricciardo revealed to his team's pre-race media brief.

"The atmosphere is always incredible and that stadium section is an awesome part of the circuit, the fans are also some of the most passionate in the world.

"We're really lucky to be racing there and in Brazil back-to-back because the excitement around the races is unreal," the Aussie went on.

He then echoed his Team Principal's thoughts on the fight with Ferrari: "I'm expecting a similar battle to the one we had in Austin, although having not raced there last year, it's hard to say where we'll truly be in terms of performance.

"We'll just keep focusing on what we can do as a team, try and score the most points as possible and see how the field shakes out," he vowed, and concluded: "Viva Mexico!"

Ricciardo's teammate Lando Norris had an underwhelming race in Austin, admitting he could have done better. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old Briton is itching to race in Mexico.

"After nearly two years away from Mexico City, it's really great to be heading back," Norris said. "It's an awesome city with a cool circuit right in the middle of it, which always makes for a great atmosphere.

The one-time pole sitter continued: "It's quite a unique track, but one I enjoyed driving in 2019, so I was disappointed when we didn't race there last year. Mexico marks the start of a long triple-header, with an intense run of races over the next three weeks.

"Despite that I've been working hard on my preparations in the sim, making use of the time since Austin to prepare for all three tracks.

"I'm feeling ready to get back to it, and I can't wait to get on track again," a confident Norris concluded.

McLaren have seen their lead over Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship gradually evaporating over the recent races and are now only 3.5 points ahead of the Maranello-based squad who has found an extra gear of late. Five races remain this season.