Emilia Romagna GP 2020 - GP preview - McLaren

Lando Norris

“I’m excited to be going to Imola right after a race weekend. The last time Formula 1 went there I was only six years old. I’ve actually raced there before in Italian Formula 4 back in 2015 and it was an amazing track, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like in a Formula 1 car. With it only being a two-day race weekend, it’ll definitely make things interesting by missing out on two free practice sessions. Hopefully my previous experience there will give me a helping hand on Saturday and Sunday. Looking back on the past few races there are a lot of positives to take despite the results. It’s still very close in the Constructors’ Championship and I know the entire team is pushing hard to give us every chance to outperform our competition. The car is showing a lot of potential that can hopefully help us get some big points this weekend.”

Carlos Sainz

“We come away from Portugal after scoring good points that are crucial for both championships. The car felt a step better last weekend, so we did a good job as a team in understanding the different upgrades and deciding which direction to take. It’s great to be heading to Italy for the third time this season with this weekend being in Imola. No running on Friday will be an interesting test as there will be limited time to get to grips with the track and less data to analyse ahead of quali. Personally, Fridays make sense as long as the number of races are reasonable. Looking forward to this weekend.”

Andreas Seidl - Team Principal

“We round off this double-header by returning to Italy for a third race at another exciting track. Imola is a welcome addition to the calendar this season with the last Formula 1 race being held there in 2006. This weekend brings with it an exciting challenge of a two-day format. We welcome these types of formats in Formula 1. We’re prepared and eager to make the most of our limited running time to give us the best possible chance to score vital points.

“Our performance in Portimão was very encouraging with several positives to take away from the weekend that once again confirm we can challenge for strong points. Looking ahead, we need to build on last weekend and continue to extract the most out of the cars to keep us in the fight with our competitors. I know the entire team back home and at track are continuing to work hard to give us the best chance to compete.”