Andreas Seidl: Norris and Sainz "confirmed" as top drivers after qualifying

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl is pleased with how his team performed during qualifying at the Russian Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz starts the race in 5th with Lando Norris only two places behind in 7th. McLaren will be hoping to cement their position as 'best of the rest' with a strong double points finish at the race tomorrow. 

“Congratulations to the entire team for another very well-executed qualifying session today," Seidl said after qualifying. "Great drives from Carlos and Lando – they confirmed today what really great qualifiers they are, going through the whole session ending up no more than a tenth apart.

“We really struggled for pace on Friday, but the team here at the track, together with support from the factory, did a thorough analysis overnight and drew the right conclusions to get us back into the right window today.

“Thanks to their hard work we start P5 and P7 tomorrow, with an excellent opportunity to score good points in our Constructors’ Championship battle. I’m looking forward to an exciting race.”

Seidl has really improved McLaren since he joined the team at the beginning of the season and will hope that the team will continue to show their pace for the rest of the season.