"I hope to still be quicker": Lando Norris wants to be faster than Daniel Ricciardo after Australian finds his footing at McLaren

Even though Daniel Ricciardo has begun to find his footing at McLaren, teammate Lando Norris, who's had the upper hand for most of 2021, hopes to remain the faster of the two.

In his third season in F1 with McLaren, Lando Norris has made quite an impression, with sensational drives throughout the first half of 2021, and is already regarded by many as a future champion.

Eight-time F1 race winner Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren as Lando Norris' team-mate this year after Carlos Sainz signed with Ferrari. Although it has taken a while for him to adapt to his new car and team, the Aussie definitely seems to be getting the hang of it. His victory at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza was certainly testament to that.

Here's what Lando Norris had to say about Ricciardo, as reported by BBC Sport:

"Once he's clicked and found his way [at McLaren], I hope to still be quicker than him, but I know it's not gonna be like I'm always quicker than him because he's a very, very, very good driver."

The British team, despite being the second-most successful operation in the history of F1, has struggled in recent years. However, consistent results since 2019 bode well for a brighter future for the team which hopes to be fighting at the front again.

---

Lando Norris lacks common interests with Daniel Ricciardo

The "bromance" between Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz as McLaren team-mates over the previous two seasons was thoroughly enjoyed by audiences. However, as Sainz parted ways with the British team to join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, and Ricciardo joined Norris at McLaren, the off-track dynamic between them changed.

As reported by Formula1.com, here's how the 22-year-old compared his relationship with Daniel Ricciardo to his former team-mate Sainz:

“[Daniel and I] still get on well, we still have good laughs, we’re still good mates and everything. But one simple thing is our interests away from the circuit are very different; he’s more into making wines and clothing and things and I’m more into golf and esports and those kinds of things, which Carlos was a bit more into."

Lando Norris acknowledged that he enjoys having Ricciardo as his team-mate, although the bounty of shared interests with Carlos definitely allowed them to spend more time together off-track. Consequently, that helped them become better friends.