McLaren will begin the Sprint race at the Austrian GP from second and third place on the grid after a strong qualifying session. Andrea Stella, the team principal of McLaren, praised Max Verstappen for his outstanding performance during the qualifying session, where he secured pole position for the Sprint race. Despite facing challenges from McLaren and Ferrari, Red Bull Racing has consistently performed well this season and has managed to outpace its competitors on multiple occasions.
Andrea Stella expressed his admiration for Verstappen and Red Bull, acknowledging their ability to capitalize on opportunities even when they are not the dominant force. He also highlighted the challenging nature of the qualifying session, which included yellow flags and traffic. Stella emphasized McLaren’s respect for Verstappen and Red Bull.
Stella stated that McLaren gave their best during the sprint qualifying session and will aim to maintain their performance in the upcoming races. Meanwhile, Red Bull and Verstappen, as the current championship leaders, will strive to replicate their successful performances from the previous year at Spielberg.
Oscar Piastri, who finished in second place during the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race, believed that he could have performed better during the last lap of the qualifying session in Austria. Despite this, Piastri acknowledged the positive impact of the new front wing upgrade on the MCL38 and expressed satisfaction with its performance.
McLaren currently holds the third position in the championship standings, trailing behind Red Bull and Ferrari. However, they have demonstrated their strength in recent races. With a strong starting position on the front row, McLaren aims to achieve the best possible results in the Austrian Grand Prix Sprint race.