When Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren, everyone expected him to be the team’s Number 1 driver. However, things can sometimes be funny in Formula 1. A young Lando Norris got the best of his more experienced teammate 2 years in a row. In 2022, he made Ricciardo look washed. However, Oscar Piastri, another Aussie, is challenging him more than Daniel Ricciardo ever did. Read on to know why.
“Adapted Quicker”
Daniel Ricciardo suffered because he couldn’t come to grips with the handling of the McLaren Formula 1 car. However, Lando Norris feels that Oscar Piastri hasn’t had that problem at all.
He said, “I’ve said previously, I’m not afraid to say it. He’s pushed me more than the last couple of years. He’s just adapted quicker to driving the car. And therefore he’s pushed me more.”
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Learning from Oscar and Lewis-George Comparison
Lando Norris continues to say that it’s good to have someone like Oscar Piastri alongside him at McLaren. He then compared it to arguably the strongest driver line-up in Formula 1 currently, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Lando Norris said, “It’s a good thing for me because you do want somebody who can push you, someone you can learn from. You’re always going to be learning.”
“I’m sure now Lewis (Hamilton) is learning a lot from George (Russell). George is doing a very good job. He beats him some of the time.”
“And I’m sure Lewis is looking at the data sometimes going ‘damn, I got to do this to be better’. And it’s not like, he can just go ‘yeah, I can do that’. It just doesn’t work. It’s always going to be difficult for everyone.”
Gamble Paying Off
McLaren went through a lot of legal turmoil to secure the services of Oscar Piastri in Formula 1. Even Oscar must have felt the pressure to fill in the big boots of Daniel Ricciardo. However, if he had any pressure, he didn’t show any of it.
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He has been one of the finds of the season. He has pushed Lando Norris in qualifying and has shown great race pace. If McLaren build a championship-contending car next year, they will have 2 drivers to make use of it.
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