Lando Norris willing to answer Daniel Ricciardo questions on "difficult to drive" McLaren

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo — Photo: © LAT Images

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Norris willing to answer Ricciardo questions on "difficult to drive" McLaren

Australian has scored in just one of his last seven grands prix

Ian Parkes

Thursday 7 July 2022 14:05

Lando Norris has declared himself willing to answer any questions Daniel Ricciardo may have regarding this season's "difficult-to-drive" McLaren.

Ricciardo is enduring a bumpy ride in his time with the team as the Australian has scored points in just one of his last seven grands prix to leave him in a miserable 13th in the drivers' standings.

Although Ricciardo has a contract for next season, speculation refuses to go away as to whether he will still be with the team for 2023 given his poor run of performances.

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Norris has confirmed he and Ricciardo do "look at each other's data all the time" and "ask each other questions all the time" but he is willing to take more if it helps his off-form team-mate.

"It's not something you ever want to do, is ask someone else a question," remarked Norris.

"We help each other as much as we can. There are still a lot of things he does well that I still learn from him and use from him from my side, for my driving and set-up and things like that.

"But I'm happy if he has questions to ask me or he wants to know how I feel in the car, and so on.

"At the same time, some of my feelings are not translated to his feelings, and how we drive the cars is slightly different as well."

Norris explains driving difference with Ricciardo

Norris added: "I don't mind as much instability from the car, I can push on the fronts more. He prefers one a bit more stable and maybe with a little bit more understeer in a way.

"It's not as easy as saying I do this [so you] do that, and vice versa, him saying what he does and me doing exactly that.

"There's no harm in it. We help each other as much as we can. I offer my help, I offer my advice or feeling in any way.

"If he wants to ask me more questions, I'm also welcome to take those."

McLarens have not been easy cars - Norris

To many observers, it has been difficult to understand why such a talented driver as Ricciardo has rarely failed to get to grips with the car at his disposal over the past 18 months, bar the odd sensation result such as his win in Monza last year.

It had been hoped that with a sweeping rule change Ricciardo would be able to help mould the car more to his liking but that has been far from the case.

Asked whether he was surprised Ricciardo had struggled so much and if he could understand why, Norris added: "I can understand on some points because I do feel our car is a difficult car to drive.

"Our characteristics over the past few years - even [former team-mate] Carlos [Sainz] said it - they're quite specific and unique.

"Some of the driving styles you need are not ones you grow up learning and therefore you have to adapt quite a bit.

"Last year, I would say we had more of that, and then it's not an easy thing to do to adapt to that.

"Like holding the brake in certain corners, and you feel like you don't want to hold the brake in, and doing the opposite in other corners. It's not like an obvious thing in how to drive the car in every corner."

Norris has his own struggles to deal with

The 22-year-old concedes it has not been all plain sailing for him either.

He added: "It's the same for me, especially this year the car is very different, and some of the characteristics we had last year are gone and we've introduced other characteristics, and I've had to change my driving style.

"So at the same time, I've also had to adapt to it. It's not just because I've been with McLaren for four years that I know this car inside out.

"At the beginning of the season, I struggled with my driving style a little bit more than Daniel did initially in the first few tests and I felt like I had to adapt quite a bit.

"I understand certain parts of it but at the same time I focus on myself, and that's all.

"As much as I'm willing to help and offer advice and answer questions, it's not like I go out there only to try and do that.

"I still have to focus on my own race, to try to finish sixth and get the good points, and things like that.

"It's a balance, so certain bits I do understand and other bits not so much."