“Just to Remind … ” – Ricciardo Reveals How Norris Motivated Him to Take the Fastest Lap at Monza

Daniel Ricciardo is regarded as one of the fiercest drivers on the grid. However, his performance has seen a dip in recent years. But at the recent Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Ricciardo proved his doubters wrong when he took home the chequered flag.

Additionally, the Australian was even more motivated to make a statement when he heard his teammate, Lando Norris, complaining on the team radio that he was going slow. This gave the McLaren driver the boost he needed to grab his eighth win in Formula One.

Daniel Ricciardo used Norris’ complaints to motivate himself to grab the fastest lap

The driver hailing from Perth had an amazing start to the race, taking the lead from Max Verstappen. However, when Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton had a crash, he slowed down. But, when he was made aware of the comments that his teammate had made, he decided to push himself even further.

As quoted from the BBC, “It was to remind people that I haven’t forgotten (how to do it). I was in control and I just wanted to show it was the last lap and I am not feeling any of the nerves or pressure so I am going to do my fastest lap of the race on the last lap, just to remind people, ‘I got this.’

“There was one lap in particular, not long after the restart when I let him (Norris) get too close and I probably gave him the impression I was maybe not that fast. And I think that’s when he probably said ‘I want to try and attack Daniel,'” the Australian concluded.

Watch Story: What Are Sprint Races & Where Will They Be Held?

The Australian has made his mark at McLaren

After leaving Renault to join McLaren for this season, the 32-year-old had high hopes to take the team to the next level. However, in the first half of the season, things weren’t going his way, with his best finish at Spa where he placed fourth.

But Ricciardo wasn’t content with it, as he wanted more. So far, in the Italian GP, he has stepped up his game, and on Sunday’s race, he found himself in P2.

As soon as the lights went out, Ricciardo stole the lead from his former Red Bull teammate. And as the flag brought the race to a close, it was Daniel who came out on top, giving the Woking-based outfit their best finish in a long time.

Read More: Daniel Ricciardo Proposes Fresh Terms on His Bet With Zak Brown After Monza F1 Win