Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris were teammates at McLaren for two years until the Honey Badger had to leave the team at the end of the 2022 F1 season. Following this, the Australian driver had a sabbatical of eight months before making his return through AlphaTauri midway into the 2023 season. Nevertheless, Ricciardo is still ambitious in going on an adventurous trip with his former teammate Norris, as per Perth Now.
The 34-year-old did not have the best of times at the Woking-based team during his two-year stint. Even though the 2021 season was decent with a win, the following year was shambolic to say the least. In the end, Zak Brown and Co. decided to replace him with his compatriot Oscar Piastri.
we’re going to get lando norris and daniel ricciardo back on the grid together pic.twitter.com/3SAPIey9Rj
— andy (@iiiuminateandy) July 11, 2023
Norris, who stayed in the team shared that he was sad after it was announced that Ricciardo would leave the team. Nevertheless, he reflected on some good memories the duo shared during their time.
Daniel Ricciardo revealed why he chose Norris for the trip
Talking about the reason, Ricciardo said to Perth Now on his adventure partner Norris, “It’s risky saying someone who hasn’t been a teammate because I guess I don’t know them too well. So I’d probably have to go with someone that’s been a teammate… even someone like Lando.”
Admittedly, the duo shared an amicable relationship throughout their tenure at McLaren. They were often seen sharing good moments on and off the camera. Most importantly, they were great buddies and often took to photography together.
Daniel Ricciardo smashing Lando Norris in the face with a Space Hopper on Sky Sports F1 show😂
These two are hilarious!#BritishGP @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/WbEKiKEuOz
— Ben Thomas (@Benfthomas_10) June 30, 2022
Nevertheless, Norris and Ricciardo are on a different trajectory now. While the Honey Badger is doing his best to recover from the injury he suffered during the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, Norris is eyeing to help McLaren overtake Aston Martin to move to P4 in the constructors” standings.
How do Norris and Ricciardo compare this season?
Daniel Ricciardo made his comeback to the grid after AlphaTauri sacked Nyck de Vries midway into the season. However, the injury at Zandvoort saw him miss weeks of action, with a return still doubtful. On the other hand, Lando Norris is finding himself fighting for the podium places on a near consistent basis.
After having a poor start to the season, the British driver with his teammate Piastri are all raring to go for P4 in the Constructors’ championship. Therefore, they are planning to bring more upgrades in the future races.
On the other hand, Scuderia AlphaTauri are right at the bottom of the championship with just five points in 16 races. They would need to make massive improvements if they want to remain in contention for points with Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda in 2024.
