“Immature” Daniel Ricciardo Takes Advantage of Lando Norris to Justify His Jocular Antics: “I’m a Big Kid Still…”

Who would you pick if we asked you to name the driving combination that has provided you with special moments recently? Probably a lot of us will choose Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo as our top picks. The two drivers who have given us all some of the most iconic scenes on and off the track have split up owing to professional duties, but they still remain close friends. And to provide you with further proof, Daniel Ricciardo recently explained his joyful demeanor and gave Lando Norris the credit.

The way Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris interacted made their supporters ecstatic. Despite the fact that the pair’s two years together weren’t particularly eventful at the Woking-based team, they nonetheless had a great time. The two put that on display during the famed space hopper race that took place over the British GP weekend. Similar vigor was carried by the two to Austin, Texas, for the US Grand Prix. Sadly, the two had to split ways when Honey Badger and McLaren mutually ended their relationship, and Ricciardo later re-joined Red Bull.

During the UNLAPPED podcast, Ricciardo was asked how much will he miss Lando Norris, to which the Honey Badger responded, ” It’s inevitable that he misses me more. Sure. You know, it’s just, I don’t make the rules. It is what it is, but. I enjoyed a lot like so well I say I enjoyed last year. Didn’t always enjoy the driving part of last year but I did enjoy like the relationship we had last year and I think the first year it was I think the first year with any kind of new teammate you trying to suss each other out as well and like always he’s keeping his cards close to his chest or whatever.”

He added what makes him more joyful around the 23-year-old, “So there’s like you just do need a bit of time to figure out where kind of where it all lays or lies in terms of like that relationship and how much you’re gonna help the team etcetera. But yeah, last year it was just. Yeah, we just kind of had to laugh and tried to certainly tried to make the car better. But yeah, he’s a kid and it kind of gives me an excuse to be a kid so I like that I’m a big kid still very immature.”

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Over the course of the two seasons, Lando Norris completely eclipsed Ricciardo as a teammate. However, it had no impact on their bond and the 23-year-old was actually gushing in his appreciation for the Australian.

Lando Norris owes his development to Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo has struggled to outperform the 23-year-old on the racetrack for the past two years. The team expected Ricciardo to do significantly better since he was a veteran, but when this didn’t happen, Ricciardo was substituted by Oscar Piastri.

Despite the constant on-track failures, there were no issues between the teammates; in fact, the young British driver gives Daniel Ricciardo credit for his development. Norris stated to ESPN America, “I’ve been able to learn a hell of a lot from Daniel. 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.”

Norris, whose comfort zone had always been vehicles and driving, had disliked media interaction, and while crediting the Honey Badger for his development in that area too to that the McLaren young star claimed, “That’s something I struggled with a lot with when I came into Formula 1 and something I’ve been able to learn a lot from him over the past couple of years.”

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However, now the most chaotic combination will no longer have as much fun, but fans will still be able to catch glimpses of them during race weekends.