Despite their reputations, Lando Norris says his relationship with Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren might not always be fun.
The two drivers are known as the perennial pranksters of the current Formula 1 grid and just in Lando’s first year in 2019, the pair shared some of the funniest moments in press conferences and the paddock.
But from next year, the pair will have the pressure of trying to help McLaren settle into their new era with Mercedes engines while also continuing to close the gap on the top three teams.
There is also the potential for a little tension if the apprentice, Norris, starts to get the upper hand on the master, Ricciardo.
“It’s hard to know what to expect until you are really there,” the Briton said speaking to Sky Sports via Instagram.
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“From the outside, you never really know what to expect or know much about a driver until you work with them. That was the same for me with Carlos.
“It’s the same with Daniel. Obviously, I know Daniel a little bit more than I did Carlos going into the season.
“But there’s still a lot of things I don’t know with how he works and how sneaky he is with things – more behind the scenes kind of stuff. I will find out next year.”
Norris though will try and get a heads up on Ricciardo by seeking out the man many believe drove him out of Red Bull, Max Verstappen.
“Max gives me a lot of good tips, he knew a lot about Carlos,” Lando revealed. “He knows a lot about Daniel. That’s part of it, you’ve got to get to know your teammates.
“As much as you want to get along, and sometimes they don’t, you want to know what their weaknesses are and their strengths are and so on. If anyone can tell me them then that’s a benefit.
“You want to have fun in F1 and that’s what I want to do, but at the same time you need to work well with your teammate and as a team, but your biggest competitor is also your teammate.
“It’s going to be tough and there’s going to be a lot of things I need to learn from Daniel, but whoever has tips on what makes Daniel angry, I’m sure Max will be the guy to ask.”
Meanwhile, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has made no secret of his delight in signing Ricciardo, after missing out on him in 2018, and only sees positives in teaming him up with Norris.
“I think we’ve got two very serious race car drivers on the track, two great characters off the track, two fan favourites, great with sponsors, and they’re at different stages of their careers, and I think that will be complimentary,” he told Fox Sports
“I think it will help bring Lando along and give him a benchmark – as we know whatever time Daniel does in a car, that’s as fast as that race car will go.
“So that’s a great comparison for Lando.
“To have a seven-time winner back in a McLaren… we’re a team that’s always had race winners and world champions in our cars.
“So it just feels like on our journey back to the front, Daniel will play a a big role in helping us get there.”
