Lando Norris says new McLaren F1 team-mate Oscar Piastri is a tougher challenger than Daniel Ricciardo. The McLaren F1 team decided late last year to let Australian Daniel Ricciardo out of contract and replace him with much younger rookie compatriot Oscar Piastri.
“Honestly, he’s doing very well,” Norris told Dutch magazine Formule 1. “He’s very good under pressure and I think that’s his strength,” he said. “He is calm, in control and fast. They push me more than they do, which is good for the team.” Ricciardo, 33, is part time ambassador and test driver for Red Bull Racing. Team principal Christian Horner believes eight-time race winner Ricciardo “picked up a few quirks” during his time at McLaren, including being so thin that Red Bull needed to “feed” him. including what happened. “When he came back it was clear he had some quirks built into him,” Horner said. “It’s hard to believe that Daniel left us a few years ago,” said Ricciardo, who has used his absence from racing to reflect on what went wrong at McLaren. “It’s only been a few months, but I already know what I want to change when I get back on the grid next year,” Ricciardo said, some speculating he was aiming to persuade Red Bull to reunite as Max Verstappen’s teammate. “I know where I want to be and I will grow when the stakes are higher in the top teams,” said Ricciardo. “It will probably be difficult to achieve, but that is my aim.”
