"McLaren is after sponsors" - Helmut Marko knows why McLaren look quick in F1 2022 testing

Red Bull special advisor Helmut Marko has claimed that McLaren was trying to attract new sponsors with its head-grabbing runs in the first pre-season test in Barcelona.

Responding to the Papaya team topping timesheets during the first two days of the Barcelona test during an interview with German publication Auto Motor und Sport, the Austrian said:

“McLaren is chasing sponsors.”

The implication here is that McLaren has been using less fuel compared to their rivals during their test programs, trying to get faster lap times to appear quicker and thereby attract potential sponsors.

While McLaren did top the timesheets during the early part of testing, they later played down their impact, conceding that it was hard to measure actual performance compared to their rivals in testing. Explaining the team’s run plan after going quickest of all on day 1, Lando Norris stressed that lap times meant very little in testing, saying:

“I don’t care if I’m first or last. If anything, it’s worse if you’re first as everyone thinks we’re amazingly fast, which I don’t really reckon we are. But no, I think a good day in terms of the laps and the program.”

Meanwhile, on the final day of testing, Mercedes and Red Bull appeared to show glimpses of their true potential by setting the fastest and second fastest times of the entire testing week. Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2, while Max Verstappen was two-tenths slower than his team-mate to finish P4 in the final classification.

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“We have some strengths” – Daniel Ricciardo is ‘positive’ about the McLaren MCL36

Daniel Ricciardo has praised his team for building a reliable car and running a smooth-sailing testing program over three days in Barcelona.

The Australian has revealed that the team made significant progress throughout the test and that he continues to learn new things every time he is behind the wheel of the MCL36. Speaking to the media after the final day of testing, the Honey Badger said:

“I think the reliability was great. Thanks to the team and everyone who worked hard to put this car together. I’m really grateful to them. I made a whole new car and made it run so smoothly on the course. It’s really amazing. I want to thank you again.”

McLaren created quite a bit of buzz during the first two days of testing when they topped the timesheets, giving hope to fans that they might have jumped up the grid this season. Both Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, however, were quick to downplay the fast lap times, claiming they were unrepresentative.