After an extremely challenging beginning of the season in Bahrain, McLaren has secured its first podium of 2022 with Lando Norris. The British team has come a long way from the multiple issues encountered during testing, including a brake malfunction which forced them to sit out multiple sessions, Daniel Ricciardo getting Covid and the zero points scored in the first round.

Team Principal Andreas Seidl discussed with MotorLAT and other selected media the reasons behind McLaren's improved performances in Imola's post-race media session, and how much impact the issues encountered during the tests have had on the team's for in the earlier rounds.

"Definitely we have improved our understanding of the car over the last couple of weekends, after we had to play catch-up with missing out on all these laps during the tests in Bahrain."

"I guess we have a clearer idea of the strengths and weaknesses of our car, I have a clearer idea of what we have to address in order to bring more performance to the car."

The next step to take after getting up to speed is to think and try out potential upgrade packages, he added

"We have a clear plan in place of how we will do that, and have to manage a lot of parameters like cost cap as well, and reduced wind tunnel time."

"But I'm very happy with what I am seeing the team is doing and how the team is tackling that challenge."

Asked if the last results obtained, with a podium and two double points finish in Imola's Sprint Race and Melbourne are proof of the high level where McLaren now is after having had time to understand the MCL36, Seidl confidently agrees, but highlights the extremely competitive grid F1 has under the new regulations.

"I think from what we have seen in Melbourne and here as well, is that the car is working under all kinds of conditions and also at different track layouts, different ambient conditions, dry conditions and also on the wet tyres, which is very positive."

"But at the same time, if you look at the field that there it is, it's very close between Mercedes, us, Valtteri, Kevin. So there's no comfort in what we have seen now in the last two race weekends."

The German Team Principal was also pleased with the effort and unity his team has shown in spite of the many difficulties encountered so far in 2022 after a very successful 2021 and the third place in the constructors's championship scored in 2020.

"It's great to see for me how the team was dealing with the challenge of the Bahrain race weekend, how everyone stayed calm and united, and simply kept the head down, kept working together as one team through the challenges."

"Both are very pleasing to see because of course that was the first real test [of] everything we had put in place over the last two-three years when the sun was always shining, so I'm very pleased with that."

Looking on to the future rounds, Seidl explained that upgrades and technical improvements will be coming in, while keeping in mind all the restrictions that come with the implemented budget cap.

"I'm very pleased as well to know that we have a good plan in place as we want to bring more performance for the car in the next weeks and months. Obviously, it's great to have scored all these points after Bahrain," he concluded.