“Do I Miss Daniel”: Lando Norris Opens up About Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 Sabbatical After Bahrain Troubles

There was a lot that went wrong with the Daniel Ricciardo x McLaren partnership. But what makes this alliance even more profound as it failed were the expectations surrounding it. When Ricciardo left Renault (now Alpine) for the Woking-based outfit, he was arguably regarded as one of the top 5 drivers on the grid. Likewise, McLaren was fresh off a P3 Constructors’ finish. However, things never really went to plan and after two squalid years, the Honey Badger and the papaya team parted ways. Amongst all the unfulfilled potential in terms of his job as a racing driver, what also pinched fans was the failed bromance with Lando Norris.

Fans felt as though Ricciardo and Norris would be a step up from the Norris, Carlos Sainz pairing. However, their relationship never even came close to being dubbed even a mere friendship. In the aftermath of Ricciardo’s McLaren ousting, many expected Norris to be more forthcoming about their relationship, and it would appear that they were right.

In a video, seemingly taken from Norris’ Twitch stream, posted on Instagram, the 23-year-old can be seen answering questions from the fans. One of the questions read, “Do I [Norris] miss Daniel?” To which the British racing ace promptly replied, “I miss Daniel.” He then added, “Of course, I miss him,” in the most somber tone he could muster.

Ricciardo has taken a sabbatical from the sport as he chose to opt for a Red Bull reserve role this year.

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McLaren’s loss seems to be Ricciardo’s gain at the moment. But the Honey Badger would be itching to get his skin back in the game.

Is Daniel Ricciardo on his way to a 2024 Red Bull seat?

As things stand, it has been made clear by Christian Horner that Ricciardo is nothing more than a reserve driver for the team. In all fairness, he won’t be lining up to replace Max Verstappen anytime soon, but can he be the phantom of Sergio Perez‘s Red Bull dream?

“Never say never in F1,” said Sky Sports’ David Croft to Kayo Sports when posed with this proposition. He went on to reveal, “More surprising things have happened and it would not surprise me to see him and Max line up together in 2024.”

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Can we see Daniel Ricciardo make a triumphant return to Red Bull in 2024?