Norris already learning from Ricciardo in McLaren F1 simulator
Lando Norris has revealed he is already picking up pointers from Daniel Ricciardo on McLaren’s simulator ahead of their first season as Formula 1 teammates.
After spending his first two years in F1 racing alongside Carlos Sainz, Norris will now partner Ricciardo at McLaren in 2021 following the Australian’s arrival from Renault.
Ricciardo has joined McLaren on a three-year deal, and is set to offer a boost to the British squad by bringing experience from a race-winning operation at Red Bull, where he scored seven wins between 2014 and 2018.
Norris said he will not know until the new season properly starts just what areas Ricciardo will push him the most him and help him develop, but revealed he is already gleaning pointers from his new team-mate in McLaren’s simulator.
“It’s difficult to me to know just yet, I need to wait until we’re on-track and we do our first shakedown,” Norris said ahead of Tuesday’s running at Silverstone.
“I will already be able to take things away from just doing a few laps learning from him, learning from his feedback. There are things on the simulator already I’ve been able to pick up on.
“In terms of how and where he’s going to push me more than ever, it’s difficult to know until we get into the proper pre-season test and we get into the first race, because that’s when everything comes alive a little bit more and people show their true colours.
“I don’t have an exact answer for that just yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be every area where he’s pushing me, and hopefully I’ll be pushing him too. That’s the aim.”
Ricciardo will be the most experienced driver to race for McLaren since Fernando Alonso left the team at the end of 2018, having been on the F1 grid since 2011.
Although Ricciardo is a veteran compared to Norris, who will be in just his third season, the ex-Red Bull driver acknowledged there would be lots he could learn from his younger team-mate about working at McLaren.
“I'm certainly the more experienced in terms of being in F1, this being my 11th season,” Ricciardo said.
“But actually, in terms of McLaren, Lando has the more experience. So for sure there's some things I can learn from him, particularly within the team itself and kind of integration into the McLaren family.
“Every time you have a new team-mate, it's a real opportunity to learn something new, whether it's work ethic, or a driving technique, or both. So I'm always pretty open minded.
“I know every driver has confidence in themselves and their ability, but I am very confident as an individual, but I'm also open minded.
“If there is something that I can take from Lando, and use it to better myself, then, obviously, I'm looking to learn as much as I can.”
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