Despite his failure to meet expectations at McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo once taught Lando Norris a valuable lesson during their time as teammates. Since the Australian joined the team as a seven-time race winner in 2021, a lot was expected of him. Although he failed to meet targets on a personal level, he yet had a vital influence on the team, as per McLaren insider Charlotte Sefton.
“Daniel’s arrival was a really positive thing for Lando because it helped him to integrate more within the team. He had worked with the boys for a long time by now, but he knew everyone, not just them by name, but their girlfriends, their wives, their kids, their families, their situation,” explained Sefton (as quoted by Norris’ biography).
Around the same time, Norris also produced some decent results for McLaren. During the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, the Briton finished an outstanding third.
He also lapped Ricciardo during the same race to lay down a marker in the team. It was in this fashion that Ricciardo’s struggles actually helped Norris to get the best out of himself. However, the 24-year-old was not always confident when McLaren announced they were signing Ricciardo.
Lando Norris was once afraid of Daniel Ricciardo
In the same biography, Charlotte Sefton reveals how Lando Norris was once also terrified by Daniel Ricciardo’s arrival at McLaren. Sefton reveals that at the time, Norris began to have thoughts that Ricciardo has years of experience under his belt and that he was also already a seven-time Grand Prix winner.
As a result, the Briton felt that the challenge he will have to beat Ricciardo at McLaren would be far greater than that of his predecessor, Carlos Sainz. While Norris certainly had his nerves, he barely let any of it affect him.
In no time, the 24-year-old seemingly established himself as the number one driver in the team. Norris also stated that this was his aim all along as he had been at McLaren for a far longer time than Ricciardo.
“I want to be that kind of guy who can lead the team, who has been there for many years, who has helped them in bad time times and who has helped them achieve the good times and that’s why I’m still here, that’s why I signed for some more years, because I want to be in that position,” explained Norris (as quoted in his biography).
While it can still be argued about who was the senior driver between Norris and Ricciardo, there is no doubt about McLaren’s current driver line-up. Following Oscar Piastri’s arrival at the start of the 2023 campaign, Norris is now definitely the senior driver in the team.
The onus is now on the Australian to change the dynamics within the team by delivering on the track.
