Daniel Ricciardo reveals the reason why Lando Norris outperformed him in the McLaren MCL36 throughout the 2022 season

Daniel Ricciardo maintained a respectable yet funny friendship with Lando Norris off the track. The duo got along pretty well but on the track, it was a different story.

Lando Norris finished seventh in the driver’s world championship with 122 points to his name. However, the points were over 120 points less than Lewis Hamilton who finished above him.

There is an understandable massive gap between the top teams and McLaren who continue to battle in the midfield. They will be hopeful for a better 2023.

The competition between the two McLaren drivers

Daniel Ricciardo visibly had one of his worst Formula One seasons. Although still the latest driver to win with McLaren, he finished eleventh in the world championship with 37 points.

The Australian driver joined the team after a difficult spell with Renault. However, the 2022 season did not go as planned for Ricciardo with the lack of pace of McLaren’s MCL36.

Lando Norris defeated Daniel Ricciardo in the qualifying in 20 races out of the 22. Sooner, Oscar Piastri left Alpine and signed up with the British team for the 2023 season.

Also Read: Daniel Ricciardo draws parallels between his 2014 rivalry with Sebastian Vettel and the current Mercedes duo

Daniel Ricciardo talks about Lando Norris fitting well in the McLaren MCL36

Daniel Ricciardo explains how Lando Norris felt with the car in comparison to his. According to him, despite the same car, the number 4 driver felt much more comfortable in the car than he did.

Lando Norris eventually signed a contract with McLaren keeping him with the team till 2026. As Ricciardo was not able to perform, Zak Brown had a clear conversation showing him the door.

The Australian driver will continue in Formula One in 2023 returning back to Red Bull as a reserve driver. He hopes to return back as a full-time driver in the near future with a new team granted if he gets his form back.

Also Read: 9 GP winner Mark Webber recollects what led to friction between Red Bull pair