McLaren looks back with satisfaction: 'Confirms the potential'

McLaren positively stood out at the Imola Grand Prix with a podium finish for Lando Norris. The Briton took advantage of a mistake by Charles Leclerc to move up to third place. For Andreas Seidl, this podium finish was a confirmation of the team's hard work.

Prior to the season, Seidl was one of the big contenders for the world title, but during the winter tests it was already clear that McLaren had fallen well behind Ferrari and Red Bull Racing. This was evident during the first races, as the performance of Max Verstappen and Leclerc proved to be too high for a long time.

In Australia, however, McLaren already managed to fight its way back and it maintained that form in Italy. Daniel Ricciardo may have crashed out on the first lap and therefore finished last, but Norris left a very positive impression. With a third place, Seidl sees plenty of prospects for the coming weeks.

"The performance we saw this weekend on a different track and in a variety of conditions confirms the potential of the MCL36," Seidl stressed in the press release of McLaren. "That said, we remain realistic about the work we have to do to close the gap to the front of the field."