Daniel Ricciardo believes McLaren were unfortunate in Brazil, an understatement as the team managed to score only one point. Their rivals, Ferrari, scored 18.
Ricciardo’s statement came while previewing the upcoming 2021 Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix, the first ever in the Gulf state.
The Australian failed to finish the previous race in Brazil, as he suffered power loss on MCL35M, but looks to register a better result in Qatar.
“We were unfortunate in Brazil not to come away with points on my side,” he said in McLaren’s press release.
“It was a shame, but there’s still plenty of positives to take from the weekend and use those to focus on maximising everything from the remaining races this season,” Ricciardo revealed.
“We’ve got one more at a new venue for us in Qatar to round off this triple-header,” the Aussie went on. “I’m looking forward to it as it’s a new track and a different challenge for everyone.
“The aim is to get to grips with the circuit right from the off and find a good rhythm. Racing under the lights brings some extra excitement too.
“Three to go, we’ll keep fighting,” the 32-year-old concluded.
Lando Norris excited about Qatar
Despite scoring one point, Riccirado’s teammate Lando Norris had no reasons to celebrate after Brazil, but can only hope for a better result in Qatar.
Norris said: “After a tough race in Brazil last week, I’m hoping we can bounce back as we head to Qatar for the first time in Formula 1 this weekend.
“We’ve got one last race of this demanding triple-header before Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, so we’ll be pushing hard to try and end it on a high.
“I’ve been able to drive the Losail International Circuit on the simulator to get a feeling of what to expect this weekend,” the Briton revealed. “It’s a pretty fast and fun track with a few big braking zones which should make for a physical race.
“Being able to compete at new places is always a challenge, which is exciting for us as drivers as we have to adapt to something new and get up to speed as quickly as possible.
“I’m looking forward to it!” Norris concluded.
The boss wants to realize the team’s potential
McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl, is also hoping for a better outing for his team in Qatar, the last race, of the final triple header of this year’s F1 season.
Seidle spoke in the team’s media brief: “After a challenging two weeks, we head to Qatar as we look to secure a positive result for the team and score the points that are on the table for us with the package we have.
“This week marks the first-ever Qatar Grand Prix in Formula 1’s history at the Losail International Circuit,” he continued. “Once again, it’s exciting to be racing in a new country and venue and being able to bring the sport to fans across the globe from a different territory.
“We return to the traditional race weekend format following sprint qualifying in Brazil,” Seidl pointed out.
“The additional free practice session will enable teams to optimise their planning and set-up, especially with there being no historical data on record.
“The track offers a mixture of medium and high-speed corners with one DRS zone on the main long straight, which hopefully will provide opportunities to overtake going into Turn One,” the German explained.
“The team both at the track and in the factory, alongside our colleagues at Mercedes HPP, have shown hard work, dedication and teamwork to the highest levels during this transcontinental triple-header.
“Let’s keep pushing together,” Seidl said in conclusion.
With three races to go, McLaren’s declared target of securing third in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Standings seems to be slipping away, with Ferrari now 31.5 points ahead of them and on form. Three races remain for the Woking squad to react.
Touched down somewhere new. ???
Let’s get back to work. ? #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/H3WPeyYJHq
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 16, 2021