“Their Relationship Started to Change”: Lando Norris’ Dominance Over Daniel Ricciardo Reformed McLaren’s Team Dynamic

Throughout a polarizing stint alongside each other at McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris often kept their distance. However, after a series of ‘pep-talks‘ delivered by Andreas Seidl, the duo reportedly turned a new corner as the dynamic between them started to evolve.

The team’s ex-communications head, Charlotte Sefton revealed (in Norris’ biography authored by Ben Hunt) the impact Seidl’s pre-race sessions with the two had on their relationship. “Both of them started spending more time together in engineering meetings and worked really hard on it. They started to work together quite a lot and from then, their relationship started to change and they started to get on really well.”

According to Sefton, there was no animosity between the duo, despite what was being reported in the media. It was simply a matter of the two not being on the same wavelength and not hanging out with each other as much to build a rapport.

What really led to a stunted partnership for the duo was the expectations Ricciardo carried into the team. With Norris still a relative newcomer to the sport, he had to perform at his best to gain confidence while going up against a seven-time race winner.

Daniel Ricciardo made Lando Norris nervous with McLaren stint

With the imminent arrival of Ricciardo after Carlos Sainz’s departure to Ferrari, Sefton revealed that Norris got nervous. Being pitted against a 7-time Grand Prix winner in Ricciardo, the Briton felt unsure of his own abilities and credibility in the paddock.

Sefton was quoted by Ben Hunt as saying, “When Carlos left I think Lando got a bit nervous again because he was a bit like, ‘well this guy’s obviously won seven races. He’s like a known quantity and he’s got really good reputation.”

Eventually, Norris got over his cold feet. In the two years that he was Ricciardo’s teammate, he obliterated his rival. In 2022 alone, Norris won the qualifying head-to-head a whopping 20-2, whilst outscoring Ricciardo by an impressive margin of 82 points.