Andreas Seidl says McLaren were on the way up before he joined!

McLaren's technical director Andreas Seidl is given a lot of credit for the team's improvements in 2019, but he says the squad were well on their way to a good season before he joined. They finished fourth in the constructor's championship, just a year after horribly struggling at the back of the grid.

With a fresh driver line up of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, McLaren dominated the midfield battle and potentially have their sights set even higher for 2020.

Seidl is often named as the mastermind behind their recovery, but he refuses to take the glory.

In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, he said: "I joined a team that was on the way up again thanks to the measures that Zak Brown initiated in 2018. The step the boys took over winter was before my time. 

"The car was significantly better than its predecessor from the winter test drives in 2019. Before I started, the first good results were already there. I found a team that was already more positive. 

"That made it easier for our new technology director James Key and me to calmly analyze where weaknesses still exist. McLaren is a collection of many, many talents and also a great deal of know-how. 

"What has been lost in recent years is a clear management structure and a clear direction. In my first official act, I gave the team a clear structure."