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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 26: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren F1 and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 ta during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 26, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 26: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren F1 and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 ta during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 26, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Daniel Ricciardo, whose future is still unknown in F1 for the next season, has revealed a stunner. The Australian has often been criticized for underperforming as compared to his teammate Lando Norris and he thinks he has the answer to that. Talking about this, Ricciardo opened up to share what’s giving Norris the upper hand against him on the track.
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In an interview with The Race, the Honey Badger conveyed, “I’m not saying he’s got no knowledge of racecars, not at all. I think he’s quite actually in tune with what he does, from a technical point of view. But it’s the only F1 car he’s driven.”
Ricciardo, who’s a veteran of the sport and has driven for the teams such as Hispania, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault [now Alpine], and McLaren, further stated on Norris, “He hasn’t driven for another team. So in a way he has got, I’m sure, used to some of the elements of this car.”
However, the 33-year-old didn’t forget to praise his young teammate for his talent. He said, “the kid’s good. There’s no denying that.”
READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo Once Confronted Ferrari F1 Star After Catching Him in a Suspicious Act
The Briton signed with McLaren in 2017 as a junior driver and, from there on, he was an important member of the Papaya family. Norris signed up for the senior F1 team debut in 2019 and has been with them ever since. As for Ricciardo, he arrived from Renault to be Lando’s teammate in 2021 after two bitter-sweet seasons at the French team.
How did Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris fare in McLaren?
The duo started racing together as a teammate in 2021. Carlos Sainz bid goodbye to the Woking-based team to move to Ferrari, paving the way for the man from Land Down Under to take his seat. As the Australian arrived, there were huge expectations regarding him on the team and back at the base.
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via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Italian Grand Prix – Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy – September 12, 2021 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo celebrates with the trophy on the podium with after winning the race alongside second place McLaren’s Lando Norris REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
As the 2021 F1 season commenced, Norris looked to outperform Ricciardo on multiple occasions. However, the win at Monza had almost settled the accounts as the Woking-based team finally picked up a win and 1-2. However, Ricciardo was still behind by 49 points.
With the final race in Abu Dhabi, McLaren finished the constructors’ championship in P4 with 275 points. The Briton picked up 160 points and was placed in P6, while the Australian clinched 115 points and a P8. There were four podiums and one pole position for Norris, while only one win was for the Honey Badger.
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WATCH THIS STORY: McLaren F1 Boss Uses Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo to Highlight Major Flaws With Red Bull Racing
As things stand in 2022, the 22-year-old is once again outperforming his senior teammate. Lando Norris picked up 101 points after round 18 with a podium, while Daniel Ricciardo is with 29 points. Norris occupies 7 in the driver’s standings while Ricciardo is in P12 as of now.
