"I'm not a guy who likes BS" - Lando Norris on what he asks of McLaren for the upcoming season

Lando Norris claims that he expects only honesty from McLaren in the upcoming seasons. The Briton has claimed that he is not someone who wants to hear good things about himself just for the sake of being pleased.

Norris claims he expects his team to be honest as McLaren tries to bridge the gap to the front runners in the coming years. He told the media:

"It's just faith. It's just honesty - that's the main thing I need. I'm not a guy who likes BS or likes people trying to make me happy. I like people just being honest. I have faith in McLaren; I have faith in the guys I work with, the whole team. Time will tell. You can never be 100% certain where you're going to be, but you can have a good shot at it."

Lando Norris had a satisfactory 2022 season, showcasing why McLaren put their trust in him with a long-term deal. The Briton was the only driver outside of the top three teams to finish on the podium in 2022, making him the best of the rest.

The 23-year-old also managed to outclass his much older and more experienced teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who struggled for pace in comparison. Norris, however, has not yet had his first taste of a real championship battle due to McLaren's otherwise non-championship-threatening pace.

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Daniel Ricciardo claims Lando Norris is almost as good as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

Daniel Ricciardo believes that Lando Norris has shown that he can perform at a very high level similar to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The Australian, however, feels that Norris differs from the two world champions in one area, which is that he is yet to show that he can perform under the immense pressure of racing at the front.

In a conversation during one of the latest episodes of the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Australian was questioned about how his McLaren teammate stacks up against Verstappen and Hamilton. Ricciardo said:

"It's tough to make a direct comparison until he's in a top team and regularly running up front. I'm obviously not trying to discredit him, but [it's tough to make comparisons] until you really win and see how you handle that [pressure]. It's where I go back to Lewis and it's like: 'Yeah, he was winning and the car is great', but he still did it and handled the pressure."

Ricciardo concluded:

"He still performed and did what everyone thought he could, so that is where it is hard to make a comparison. But from driving ability, the kid is very good – I don't know if I could say he is like Max as that is a little hard, but for now, the kid is good."

McLaren's ability to provide Lando Norris with a championship-winning car seems to be the only thing that is stopping the young driver from battling the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at the top of the pecking order.