Lando Norris, McLaren, Hungaroring, 2022

McLaren “set for strong second half of the season” – Seidl

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In the round-up: McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has faith his team will have a strong second half of the 2022 season.

In brief

McLaren “set for strong second half of the season” – Seidl

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has faith his team will have a strong second half of the 2022 season.

Mclaren are fourth in the constructors’ championship, just four points adrift of Alpine. Lando Norris beat both Alpine drivers, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, to seventh place at the last race before the summer break in Hungary.

“Overall obviously to be seeing now where we have been in terms of performance [in Hungary] – clearly been the fourth fastest team – yes, it’s encouraging for me,” said Seidl.

“A good finish of this first half of the season… because we haven’t forgotten how we started the season with the issues we were having on the brakes, with battling at the end of the field in the Bahrain race weekend. The strong reaction the team has shown after that, that’s also something which I’m very happy with. I think it’s now set for a strong second half of the season on our side, which we also need in order to make sure we stay in this battle for P4.”

Raikkonen crashed out of NASCAR Cup debut

Kimi Raikkonen retired from the NASCAR Cup series race at Watkins Glen after being involved in a restart accident halfway through the race.

The 2007 Formula 1 world champion started the 90 lap race from 27th of the grid, highest of the debutants in the field including Daniil Kvyat and Mike Rockenfeller. After the race began in wet conditions the track gradually dried out, with Raikkonen climbing to as high as ninth place in the second stage.

After a restart on lap 45, Raikkonen was hit by Loris Hezemans exiting the Bus Stop chicane as a group of cars tried to avoid Austin Dillon after his car was spun by Ross Chastain. The contact bounced him into the tyre barrier, damaging his car enough to force his retirement.

“I had no time to react,” Raikkonen told NBC. “I had good fun. I had good confidence in the car all the time and had some good battles. It’s a shame.”

Kvyat and Rockenfeller also failed to finish the race. It was Raikkonen’s only planned race appearance in the premier division of NASCAR.

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Comment of the day

This weekend’s Caption Competition winner is Robert McKay!:

After hours of post-race debriefs and millions in R&D costs, Valtteri was pleased to see his request for dedicated red, green and blue shell buttons had finally been implemented.
Robert McKay

Thanks to everyone who came up with caption idea this week and a special mention to NinjaBadger, Tommy C and charliex who all came up with particularly good captions.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Master Firelee and Kart22!

On this day in motorsport

  • On this day in 1999 Juan Pablo Montoya won the first CART IndyCar race at the new Chicago oval, retaking the championship lead from rival Dario Franchitti

Author information

Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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19 comments on “McLaren “set for strong second half of the season” – Seidl”

  1. “Kimi crashed” is the easy headline to write but he actually did a great job. He survived and gained places in tricky, rainy conditions. He then ran nearly 20 laps in the Top 10, going door to door with the last 2 NASCAR champs (Chase Elliott and race winner Kyle Larson). He was more than holding his own out there.

    All with just 30 minutes of practice time and a few qualifying laps in a car he’d never driven, at a track he’d never raced at. Hopefully he’ll come back one day for another go.

    1. I agree. That was a super-strong effort by Kimi. Great on-track battles and would’ve possibly finished in the TOP-10 with his pace. Looked like break from racing hadn’t slowed him at all.

      Kimi seemed to enjoy his time at the NASCAR paddock. Let’s hope that wasn’t the last time we saw Kimi racing. But preferably somewhere else than NASCAR. Rallycross would be a good fit for him I reckon.

  2. I’ve been waiting for someone to get passed as they slow down to take the flag in Formula 1 for years. Then Takeshi Kimura comes along and gets passed by two cars, ending up in third. That requires true genius.

    1. That was real ridiculus what he did I am afraid none will do that in F1 as the engineer would warn the driver nr. 2 is coming.

    2. The fact his team (all 6 or 7 of them), were probably 100m past the finish line anyway. We all make fools of ourselves from time to time, but I’m sure he’ll accept that was epically stupid.

    3. Not F1, but I definitely remember it happening in one of the support races at Monaco @david-br. Early 2000s I think, so could have been one of the last F3000 seasons or even one of the early years of GP2.

      1. @red-andy It was Wirdheim for Ardent in 2003. Christian Horner just doesn’t seem to age for some reason.

  3. McLaren has been 4th all along. Races with heavy braking and power circuits have not suited them, anyway their rivals should be taking lots of grid penalties.
    That GT finish is amateurish.
    Not my favourite caption, nor the first mario kart caption either.

  4. That NASCAR race was a joy to watch. Besides the actual competitive racing (and no, I don’t like the false field closeups, just like most DRS) I celebrated the absence, the lack, the non-existence, of silly, tiresome, annoying “track limits” banter and charges. Just race!

    1. I watched the race last night too – it was damn good, and I loved the total lack of respect for track limits in places – priceless :)

  5. Someone should ask sunburn guy if the Twitter followers are worth the melanoma. I swear some people.

  6. The Williams & Mclaren tweets are funny.

    The term navigator is slightly weird as pace note-reading individuals in rallying are generally considered co-drivers.
    Nevertheless, Jos fared relatively well, given his lack of experience in this motorsport form, & he wasn’t the only one who crashed out in the event.

  7. Jos Verstappen has had harm as his co-driver for most of his life, it has to be said.

  8. What I heard Jos was weaving on the straights (to get the tyres up to temperature). 5 second penalty for that.

  9. climbing to as high as ninth
    pretty sure he was 8th at a point @willwood

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