'We can be quite optimistic' – McLaren boss Seidl happy with 2020 car
McLaren have unveiled their new car with the ambition of continuing the progress they showed last year.
In 2019, they were the fastest team behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull and finished fourth, two places better than in 2018.
Team boss Andreas Seidl said: “It is important to keep the positive momentum up and move forward as a team.
“It is a reset. I am very happy with development. We can be quite optimistic but we have to be realistic as well.”
The new MCL35 retains McLaren’s historic papaya orange colour scheme, re-adopted in 2017, but has switched it for a matt finish, following a trend set by Red Bull and Ferrari.
An evolution of last year’s design, the car has a noticeably narrow nose and pinched rear end in the pursuit of maximum possible aerodynamic downforce.
McLaren continue with their youthful driver line-up of Spaniard Carlos Sainz and Briton Lando Norris, both of whom impressed greatly in 2019.
Sainz, who in Brazil last November scored McLaren’s first podium for five years, said: “We have managed to put together a better car. I have the feeling everything is coming together a lot better. We have a positive momentum and we want to carry that forward.”
Norris, who was an impressive debutant in 2019, said: “It is a base. It was made last year. All our comments and discussions as been put into this. It is a lot more of my car. We have had the input of making this, so it feels a bit more my baby.
“I was pooping myself a lot last year, especially at this point, whereas now I am lot more confident and more relaxed and that just prepares me better for the season.”
It is the first car fully produced by McLaren under Seidl, who joined in May last year, and new technical director James Key, who started in April and was previously at Toro Rosso.
Seidl added: “Everyone has the same ambitious targets. We have to focus on ourselves.
“We are all racers. We all love the sunrises at race tracks. I’m looking forward to going on track again. We have only six days of testing, so it is important to get some decent mileage. We have done our homework. I feel ready.”
Pre-season testing starts in Spain on 19 February, with the first grand prix in Melbourne, Australia on 13-15 March.
This article is from the BBC Sport website / bbc.co.uk - 'We can be quite optimistic' - McLaren boss Seidl happy with 2020 car