Andreas Seidl has urged his McLaren colleagues to remain “focused” following their outstanding start to the 2021 Formula 1 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
In their first race since returning to Mercedes power, the Woking-based outfit secured P4 and P7 finishes with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo respectively, putting them into an early lead in the race for third in the constructors’ championship.
However, Ferrari and AlphaTauri looked to have taken steps since last season, with both teams having a car ahead of McLaren in qualifying.
Aston Martin and Alpine do not appear to have made a similar step, but Seidl warned that the “true running order” was not clear after just one race.
F1 returns at Imola this weekend for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
“We head to Imola this week after making a strong start to the season in the opening race, but it’s crucial we stay focused and consolidate it,” he said. “The team and our Mercedes colleagues are working hard as always to optimise our package and give us the best chance to fight for good points this weekend.
“At the same time, we continue to concentrate on our reliability and operational effectiveness to deliver to our full potential.
“It’s clear that several of our competitors have taken a step forward, although it’s difficult to be certain of the true running order from one race. This will only become clearer as the season progresses, with different conditions at circuits with different characteristics.”
Last year’s race at Imola was run across a shortened two-day format and Seidl feels that the move back to the traditional weekend schedule will help the team “optimise” their set-up.
“We’re looking forward to racing at Imola for a second consecutive season, this time with three full days of running that will allow us to optimise the set-up,” he added.
“Imola poses a fresh challenge from the previous race, with different cornering profiles and a narrower track layout. There are fewer overtaking possibilities than at Bahrain, which increases the importance of track position and our performance on Saturday.
“On Sunday we’ll need to be ready for an exciting race which will pose a number of opportunities and challenges, just as we saw last year. We’re looking forward to another thrilling weekend of Formula 1.”