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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 12: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren F1 and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 look on from the grid during Day One of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on March 12, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)

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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 12: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren F1 and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 look on from the grid during Day One of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on March 12, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)
Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo play basketball rather hilariously! What’s funnier is the fact that Norris carried a fork and knife in his pocket. Undoubtedly, fans widely regard this McLaren duo as a fan favorite, with the second season turning out to be better for their friendship. However, none of this is without their respective ups and downs with the team.
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In Baku, things seemed a little heated when Ricciardo was told to not overtake Norris. While the Australian did ultimately cross the Brit, a vice versa act played out at the end. Being told to hold position frustrated the 22-year-old Norris when he was clearly faster. This tense situation surely did not go unnoticed by fans. However, the new McLaren Unboxed video filled the papaya fans with a new hope.
In behind-the-scenes footage, F1 fans can see Norris and Ricciardo playing basketball and having fun. The best part? When the ‘Honey Badger’ asks Norris to maintain momentum and jump and slam dunk.
While Ricciardo set up the ball for the Briton, he sat all ready on the side just to get that ball in. They also exchanged several funny comments like: “that was emotional”, “don’t completely put your weight on it,” and the golden “do you have a fork and knife in your pocket?”. Clearly, all looked well between the McLaren duo.
The intense situation for Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren
Ricciardo has faced a rather critical time in the past few weeks. The Australian has not met the expectations of his team and vice versa. ‘Honey Badger’ has even faced public criticism from CEO Zak Brown, and the Woking outfit’s driver program test suggests Ricciardo’s seat could be in danger.
McLaren is currently eyeing Pato O’Ward and even Colton Herta as potential replacements by 2024.
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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)
Ricciardo has also faced consistent comparisons with teammate Norris, who has been the better driver over the course of the season. Arguably, somewhere, the Aussie has failed to match up to McLaren‘s expectations by a wide margin.
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A positive for Ricciardo was that his performance in Baku looked rather promising. The driver looked equally competitive alongside his teammate and answered his critics.
Could Ricciardo be rising again?
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