Breaking news
Formula 1
Seidl: McLaren needs to build up risk-taking "culture"
McLaren boss Andreas Seidl wants his team to embrace a more ‘risky’ approach to car development in its bid to move further up the grid.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Jul 7, 2019, 2:15 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Woking-based outfit has made rapid progress this season, and is currently sitting in fourth place in the constructors’ championship after another double points scoring finish in the Austrian Grand Prix.
But with the team well aware that it is still adrift of the top three outfits, Seidl is eager for it not to sit back – and instead is urging a more brave approach to how it pushes forward.
While Seidl is boosted by McLaren’s position in the points table, he says the key thing that needs to be delivered this season is regular progress with its car.
“What is the most important thing for me is to see continuous development, and continuous improvement for the team back home and back here,” he said.
“For me what is important is that we take our time to make sure we go into detail, in terms of the methods and tools we are using to develop this stuff, because this is the foundation in the end for an aggressive development that is required when you have a gap like we have.
“We need to build up this confidence again inside the team and be also brave enough to take risky or adventurous concept decisions. That is something that other teams with a lot of experience and confidence like Mercedes can do
“It is important to be good in categories like pitstops, race strategy, and showing already now that we can take the fight to the big ones because it is clear that the gap on the performance side is something that will take time.”
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren, Lando Norris, McLaren, Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren, and James Key, Technical Director, McLaren
Photo by: Dom Romney / LAT Images
Seidl thinks that the first step needed to achieve his aims is for McLaren to recover some of the confidence it lost during recent difficult years.
“If you have such bad years like McLaren had, then somehow you are against the wall,” explained Seidl, who joined the team earlier this year. “I think with all the changes that have happened over the last five years, with not having stability inside the team, it doesn't help.
“I am a guy who encourages people to take risks and to protect them when something goes wrong. You have to accept that mistakes will happen and while you should try to prevent them in the first place, you should make sure they don't happen a second time.
“With the position we are in, we need to take risks. But in order to do that, you have to have a certain confidence again inside the team, a certain culture and spirit and that is something we have to build up again together.
“But I am not saying it is bad [at the team]. I was really impressed when I started with all the good results this year, how positive the atmosphere was, and how good the momentum was which was there, and it is important now to go in that direction.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Honda targets faster qualifying mode as "next step"
Next article Following other F1 cars "as bad as it's ever been"
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
McLaren
Penalty drops Oscar Piastri out of F1 Mexico GP points
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
7 h
Penalty drops Oscar Piastri out of F1 Mexico GP points
"Two steps forward, one step back" – Oscar Piastri explains the route out of McLaren's car woes
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
"Two steps forward, one step back" – Oscar Piastri explains the route out of McLaren's car woes
Latest news
How MotoGP teams and riders are organising themselves for their arrival in Qatar
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
5 min
How MotoGP teams and riders are organising themselves for their arrival in Qatar
Mexico Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2026
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Mexico Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2026
Ai Ogura on brush with Marco Bezzecchi: "It was my bad"
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
1 h
Ai Ogura on brush with Marco Bezzecchi: "It was my bad"
Marc Marquez not celebrating MotoGP title yet: "I don't want to fall into the trap"
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Malaysian GP
2 h
Marc Marquez not celebrating MotoGP title yet: "I don't want to fall into the trap"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe