"It's not my job to focus on someone else": When Lando Norris addressed Daniel Ricciardo's form before McLaren split

Lando Norris once explained that he had no sympathy for Daniel Ricciardo and claimed that he had no time to focus on any other drivers. The Briton elaborated his thoughts when he was asked about the Australian's struggles at the Papaya team following his exit in 2022.

In August 2022, McLaren announced that they would be parting ways with Daniel Ricciardo at the end of the season, one year prior to the original expiration of his contract.

The Australian finished the 2022 season 85 points behind his teammate Lando Norris, which summarized Ricciardo's below-par performances throughout his two years at McLaren.

Norris expressed his disappointment about the 8-time race winner's time with the team and when asked if he had any sympathy for him, he said:

"I hate to say it, but I would say no. It's not my job to focus on someone else, and I'm not a driver coach, I'm not here to help and do those kind of things. I'm here to perform at my absolute best and that's about it." [via ESPN]

"So it's difficult when people start to have an expectation that it's my job to also do these other things and helping and describing this and doing that when that's not really the case," Norris added.

Lando Norris also added that he believed Ricciardo was better than him at the start of the 2022 season but claimed that he managed to adapt better as the car continued developing throughout the season.

Ricciardo may have had an uninspiring time at McLaren but the Aussie driver was responsible for the British team's first Grand Prix victory since 2012 when he crossed the finish line in 1st place at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo went on to rejoin his former team Red Bull as a reserve driver for the 2023 season but was signed mid-season for Red Bull's sister team AlphaTauri, replacing the out-of-favour Nyck de Vries.

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When Daniel Ricciardo said Lando Norris is his closest friend on the F1 grid

Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris during the British GP - Source: Getty

Conversely, Daniel Ricciardo claimed a year back that Lando Norris is his best friend on the F1 grid. Speaking in an interview for Formula1.com in May 2024, the Aussie driver explained that apart from his manager Blake, Norris is his closest friend in the whole paddock.

Ricciardo explained that while the early periods of their time as teammates were turbulent, the pair later developed a strong bond. He said:

"Lando [Norris] is one where like, our first year at McLaren, it definitely took us a little bit of time to probably get to know each other and warm to each other a bit. It’s probably no secret that it took us a little bit to become, let’s say, mates."

He continued:

"But Lando visited Perth and came out to my farm in January (2024). He was travelling a bit and he was like, ‘Can I come and visit for a few days?’ I was like, ‘Sure’."

Ricciardo also expressed that he feels nice hanging out with Norris and other drivers outside the track, after constantly only seeing them inside the paddock.