McLaren left Austria with both drivers scoring points and team principal Andreas Seidl said the team is determined to make the most of their weekend in France.
The 2022 Formula 1 season has gone past its halfway mark after the grand prix in Austria, and there are still only two races before the sport goes on the summer break, France and Hungary, so all teams and drivers would be planning to go into their holidays on a high.
McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl previewed the upcoming French Grand Prix following his team’s decent performance in Austria.
“We’re now past the halfway point of the season and after a pleasing result in Austria with both drivers scoring points, everybody in the team is working hard to give us the best chance to continue positive results at the upcoming double-header in France and Hungary,” he said.
“The French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard offers a number of opportunities for racing and last year’s results were good for the team with Lando and Daniel finishing P5 and P6 respectively.
“The track is known for its long Mistral straight, but there are also some challenging corners around the track including Turns Eight and Nine which require a strong exit before heading into Turns 10 and 11,” Seidl pointed out.
“As always the team back at the factory and at the track are determined to make the most of the weekend, before the final race ahead of shut down in Hungary,” the German concluded.
Important to build on the results and maintain momentum
Lando Norris added: “With the summer break fast approaching, it’s important we continue to build on our results this season as the midfield gets tighter.
“Finishing P7 and P9 in Austria was positive after a difficult start to the weekend and it’s great to remain in this battle for fourth in the constructor standings.
“Going back to a standard race weekend format in France should give us the opportunity to improve over the free practice sessions, something we didn’t have available to us at Austria’s sprint.
“There is a lot of work to still do but we will continue to push hard on track and secure more points like we did as a team at Paul Ricard last year,” Norris said referring to his fifth position in Le Castellet in 2021, backed by teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s sixth.
Daniel Ricciardo practiced his French as he previewed this weekend’s race, he said: “Enchante! I’m looking forward to the French Grand Prix in Le Castellet this weekend.
“It’s an open track with long straights and some interesting corners like Turn 11 which can be physically challenging,” he added.
“Small margins make a big difference and at this stage of the season it’s important we remain consistent with positive results.
Ricciardo, who needs to be closer to his teammate according to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, is looking to score points again after doing so at the previous race.
“I was pleased to be back in the points in Austria and we’ll continue to work hard to build momentum with more points in France before heading to Hungary in the double-header,” he insisted.
Bonjour, McLaren fans! ?
We’re halfway through the season and the #FrenchGP is up next. ??
À bientôt, Paul Ricard! ?
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 18, 2022