“People Will Probably Hate Me…”: Lando Norris Puts Friendship With Daniel Ricciardo Aside To Spit Cold Hard Facts About McLaren Sacking

The name of the game in Formula 1 is ruthlessness. This has been apparent from the very inception of the sport. That being said, in more recent years we’ve seen a few friendships blossom within the paddock. When a young rookie by the name of Lando Norris forged this unmistakable brotherhood with teammate Carlos Sainz back in his McLaren days, people thought Norris was the ‘friend’ in the paddock. Naturally, with the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo in 2021, McLaren and F1 fans thought they had another inevitable bromance on their hands. However, what ensued snapped them back to reality.

Ricciardo never really settled in at the team. He was never one with the car, and certainly, the bromance so promised never materialized. Rather insinuated by the media, the picture within the team was the stark opposite. Even though Norris has on many occasions tried to clear the air about their relationship, his blunt way of looking at the Honey Badger’s ousting seems to tell a different tale. In the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, the fans became the fly on the wall as Ricciardo’s McLaren career unraveled. And on more than one occasion, Norris was at the center of it all.

No sympathy for Daniel Ricciardo

During a press conference segment in Episode 6 of the docuseries, the 23-year-old was asked whether he felt any sympathy for Ricciardo’s plight. He bluntly responded, “I would say no. People will probably hate me for saying it.”

“You know, he’s a great guy, a lot of fun. But, the same with many things, if you don’t perform and get the results, then, uh…that’s life,” he went on to explain.

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For one reason or another, Norris and Ricciardo could never forge a bond. But what about Norris’ newest teammate, Oscar Piastri?

Lando Norris takes a last jab at Ricciardo as Oscar Piastri arrives

Daniel Ricciardo encapsulates the larger-than-life personality. That being said, Norris may have hinted at this very character trait of Ricciardo’s that made it impossible for them to have a relationship.

While talking about his teammate for 2023, Piastri, Norris said, “Oscar’s 11 [or] 10 years younger than Daniel, but he’s quiet,” as quoted by RacingNews365.com. “I think he’s a little bit the opposite of Daniel at the minute. Of course, it’s his first year in Formula 1, so there’s a lot of pressure.”

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Who was to blame for this failed duo at McLaren?