McLaren
Lando Norris, 4th
“Today’s P4 was the best we could achieve, and I’m pleased we maximised the result. It was a demanding, hot race, and the car was tough to drive - every corner was a fight. Our pace was reasonable and the team did what was possible, but we’re clearly the fourth fastest at the moment. Red Bull have taken a big step, Mercedes and Ferrari were strong, and without upgrades we can’t close that gap.
“So overall, I'm pleased with the result, but a little disappointed in how we got there. I was a bit impatient in my fight with Lewis and I think I’d have passed him eventually without the mistake, and while Kimi was always likely to get by given his pace and fresher tyres, I should have given him a better fight. We need to make the car faster and more forgiving to drive; strategy couldn’t create more today. We’ll keep pushing for upgrades so we can fight for podiums and, ultimately, wins.
“Finally, I also need to apologise to the team for letting them down yesterday. I've apologised to all those that I represent and who work so hard to put everything together and allow me to go racing. I'll work hard for the rest of the season to make up for it, and we will keep working hard and pushing together.”
Oscar Piastri, 5th
“P5. That was a hot and tough one. Overall, it felt like a reasonable race. The puncture was a shame, but I think fifth place was the maximum we could have done today. We didn’t quite have the pace to challenge the Red Bull and the Ferraris, although being able to get that final position from Lewis made it worthwhile, and it was a fun way to finish the race. It was a reasonable chunk of points for the team, so thank you for their hard work.
“Across this triple header, I've definitely felt much more comfortable in the car, which has been a real positive, but we need to be honest — we clearly aren't quick enough at the moment. If we want to be fighting for podiums and wins, we need a decent step forward to close the gap to Red Bull and Mercedes. We have work to do, but I am confident we can do it. I’m looking forward to a short break, before we head into the final swing of the season.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal
“All in all, today’s result reflects the current level of performance of our car: it’s no coincidence that it’s very similar to what we saw yesterday in Qualifying. Perhaps there was a chance for Lando to take third place, but after a challenging Saturday and a few races where we didn’t get the results we’d hoped for, picking up these points is a small consolidation.
"It gives us confidence as we prepare for the next trio of races and focus on introducing updates that, we hope, will enable us to fight for the podium. We know that although Red Bull have taken a step forward, this result confirms that we are right in the thick of the battle with our current main rivals in the championship and that the gap to the front-runners is one we believe we can close.
“As for what happened yesterday in the Sprint race, I said that it was an unacceptable incident, and I was very pleased that our drivers also took this view. So, we’re on the same page about how we want to move this team forward, in a joint effort. We’ll discuss it further, but not because we need to revisit the ‘why’ or ‘how’ of the contact, but to reflect together on what sort of team we want to be. We must be aware that, whether we’re at the factory, in the pit lane or in the cockpit of a car, the team’s interests take precedence over any individual’s interests.
"There is still a great deal we can do to become an even more united and stronger team. This is what I, and everyone who works at McLaren Mastercard, expect from our drivers. I was therefore pleased with what Lando said during the final laps of the race, and I expect to see more examples of this in the future, whether expressed over the radio during the race, behind closed doors in our meetings, or when we discuss strategies.”
