Norris thinks McLaren did everything in their power to help Ricciardo
McLaren Media Centre
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Lando Norris got a new teammate in 2021 in the person of Daniel Ricciardo, but the latter will have to make way for Oscar Piastri after this year. Norris says he has been able to learn a thing or two from his current teammate, but does not think it has made him a better driver.
With Ricciardo, Norris got an experienced driver as a teammate at McLaren, but since his arrival, the Australian has continuously been outclassed by the young Briton. Yet Norris has also definitely learnt a few things from the eight-time Grand Prix winner. "There are certain things that he does very well and that I could learn from. But it's not that I feel like I'm on a whole new level because of him either," Norris is quoted by Motorsport-Total.com.
Norris thinks McLaren has tried everything
Those lessons are mainly in the experience of Ricciardo, who made his GP debut in 2011. In terms of driving style, the McLaren drivers differ considerably, so in that area Ricciardo did not set a great example for his teammate. Norris attributes that difference in driving style partly to the different cars the two drivers have driven, but also to the driving style they grew up with.
Ricciardo has to leave McLaren after this year, but Norris does not think his team bears any blame for the way the parties parted ways. He stresses that the team does everything it can to help a driver, especially if they are new to the team. As a newcomer himself, he felt at home very quickly and the team, he says, helped take a lot of pressure off his shoulders. According to Norris, McLaren does everything it can to put its drivers at ease, including through media and marketing. "Whatever enhances the driver's performance, they will try to do it," Norris said.