McLaren “set for strong second half of the 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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