McLaren star Lando Norris has revealed that he learned a “hell of a lot” from former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who he raced alongside in 2021 and 2022.
The duo appeared to have a brother-like bond, with the pair having been inseparable off-circuit.
McLaren’s decision to separate the two for 2023 wouldn’t have been easy to make, given the effect that Ricciardo seemingly has on everybody he works with.
Points are where it matters, though, with the 33-year-old having simply not scored enough to warrant his stay with the Woking-based outfit.
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As loveable a character as Ricciardo is, he wasn’t putting in the performances that the team needed to beat Alpine to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, which, of course, has a financial incentive to it.
With Ricciardo’s contract for 2023 having been terminated, Norris has opened up on what he learnt from the eight-time race winner.
Having joined the grid in 2019, the British driver revealed that he struggled when it came to self-belief; however, it’s one of the many things he has learned from Ricciardo, who appeared to be somewhat of a mentality genius.
“I’ve been able to learn a hell of a lot from Daniel,” Norris told ESPN.
“His approach to racing, his mentality with it all, through the tough times. how he keeps so strong with it all and has so much belief in himself.
“That’s something I struggled with a lot with when I came into F1 and something I’ve been able to learn a lot from him over the past couple of years.
“But even on the driving side, how he drives the car in many ways. You can see those instances of what’s made him so good. I try to take them on board. It’s not an easy thing to do, but the more I’ve been able to learn from him, the better I’ve become and that’s only a good thing for me.”
With rookie Oscar Piastri having been signed to replace Ricciardo, it is likely that Norris will be the next McLaren driver to leave the team; the question, though, is when?
His current lucrative contract expires at the end of 2025, before the new engine regulations are introduced.
There is no doubt that the leading teams will be interested in poaching the Quadrant founder, with Red Bull having held discussions with him as recently as last year.
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To keep hold of Norris, McLaren must give him a car that can win races, with the truth being that if the team can’t, he’ll be able to find one elsewhere.
“I’m convinced we’re going to give him a winning car,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said.
“We have a long-term contract with him. I think he feels very comfortable within the team… He knows the journey we’re on. He has bought into the journey that we’re on, and I think it’d be early to be worried about it.”