Ricciardo, Norris form the "most exciting driver line-up"
McLaren Formula 1 team boss Zak Brown believes that the combination of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris in 2021 will be “awesome” – and he thinks the experienced Australian will help his younger partner to further raise his game.
Brown believes that Ricciardo is capable of winning a championship “immediately,” and has made it clear that he was always the first choice after Carlos Sainz indicated that he had an opportunity to move to Ferrari.
“We went after Daniel a couple of years ago and I think narrowly missed out,” Brown told Sky F1.
“So we've been a fan of Daniel’s for some time. Obviously he went to Renault, and then we brought on Carlos and Lando, who have done a fantastic job.
“And we were out of contract with Carlos, and he had some opportunities. We're going to miss Carlos, he's done a fantastic job, but now we’ve got a seven-time Grand Prix winner in the car and we couldn't be more excited, and think the combination of he and Lando in ’21 will be the most exciting driver line-up.
“I think in the right car Daniel is capable of winning a championship immediately. He’s extremely marketable from a commercial standpoint, he’s a very exciting driver. I think the combination of he and Lando will be awesome, and they’ll be kind of the fan favourites, on and off the track.”
Brown said the addition of a proven race winner in Ricciardo represented an important step on the rebuilding process following major changes in the management of the team.
“We’re kind of on this road to recovery, and last year was a big step forward. With that you need to have the best of everything if you can get it.
“I think in a relative short period of time Andreas [Seidl] as our team principal has been a great addition to our team, James Key has started, then a lot of people you don’t see behind the scenes, who ultimately contribute to a race team being successful.
“We restructured the entire leadership team, that took some time, they are now all in place. Andreas really has the race team where he wants it.
“Then of course you want to have two great drivers, which we currently have today, but to be able to have a seven-time winner, someone that you know is the absolute benchmark, is great for the team.
“And it also gives Lando a chance to step up and give us a chance to see Lando in action against a seven-time winner.”
The shambles, success and demise of Britain’s first big F1 team
Ferrari and Vettel “didn't share same goals”, says Binotto
Inside AlphaTauri’s Faenza F1 factory
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s Oleg Karpov on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow.
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons: Villeneuve and Leclerc
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career.
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Max Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz's best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures.
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix