Daniel Ricciardo Will Not Appreciate Max Verstappen’s Conversation With Lando Norris

Kriti Shukla | 01/09/2023
Daniel Ricciardo Will Not Appreciate Max Verstappen’s Conversation With Lando Norris

Sergio Perez’s contract with Red Bull will run its course at the end of the 2024 season. However, team boss Christian Horner has repeatedly said that Perez will retain his seat for the 2024 season. However, there are rumors that suggest otherwise. Recently, Max Verstappen also shared his thoughts on the possibility of Norris becoming a teammate.

Another contender for Perez’s seat is Daniel Ricciardo, who competed for Red Bull from 2014 to 2018. Verstappen and Ricciardo are well-known for being best friends on the racing grid and were teammates at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018.

Verstappen had said that he is glad he was to welcome Ricciardo back to the “family” as the returning star prepares to compete for Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri for the rest of the 2023 season.

Verstappen unsure of future teammate, but open to Norris

In a recent interview, Max Verstappen revealed that he and Lando Norris have discussed the possibility of becoming teammates in the future. The Dutch driver is under contract with Red Bull until 2024, while Norris has signed a deal with McLaren until 2025. Both drivers have said they are happy with the current team but have also expressed an interest in driving together in the future.

Asked about his strongest teammate, Verstappen said it was hard to say because every driver is different. He said everyone goes through different life stages, and it’s hard to compare teammates at different points in their careers.

Lando Norris jokes about Max Verstappen joining McLaren

McLaren driver Lando Norris jokingly said Max Verstappen could join McLaren if he grew sick of winning at Red Bull. Norris also stated that he wouldn’t want to be the second driver behind Verstappen since doing so would definitely mark him as a loser.

Talking about this, he said, “I’m not the guy that has so much confidence that goes ‘yeah, easy.’ I think it’s impossible. I don’t think anybody ever can just go, ‘yeah, I can beat Max’.”

Red Bull’s chief advisor, Helmut Marko, has suggested he would prefer Lando Norris over Lewis Hamilton. However, Marko admits that managing the Norris/Verstappen team could present challenges for Red Bull. He emphasizes how the team wants a clear hierarchy, which includes the fastest driver identified.

With two big names in its line-up, Red Bull risks both drivers prioritizing their individual success over team goals, similar to the rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Post Edited By: Samriddhi Jaiswal

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