Lando Norris says he "learned a hell of a lot" from Daniel Ricciardo during their two seasons as McLaren team-mates.
The Brit is considered to be one of the starlets of Formula 1 and a potential future champion if he realises his potential. There are still some hurdles to overcome, though – his McLaren team is not in a position to challenge for titles, and Norris is yet to win a race despite coming very close.
The fact he has only just turned 23 means he has also not been able to gather the life experience that some other racers will be able to use to his advantage. In particular, a racer's mental strength often comes from experience.
That particular area is something Norris feels his has improved significantly over the last 12 months after learning from Ricciardo. The Aussie suffered an awful year in 2022, losing his place on the F1 grid, but still he was able to set a positive example for his team-mate.
Norris told ESPN : "I've been able to learn a hell of a lot from Daniel. His approach to racing, his mentality with it all, through the tough times. how he keeps so strong with it all and has so much belief in himself. That's something I struggled with a lot with when I came into F1 and something I've been able to learn a lot from him over the past couple of years.
"But even on the driving side, how he drives the car in many ways. You can see those instances of what's made him so good. I try to take them on board. It’s not an easy thing to do, but the more I've been able to learn from him, the better I've become and that's only a good thing for me."
Norris again finished as best of the rest in 2022 – not that he likes that particular phrase. Finishing seventh in the drivers' championship every year is not his ambition, but still it is an impressive achievement, to be ahead of everyone not driving for the big three teams each year.
The Brit has made it clear that he wants McLaren to give him a title-challenging car by 2024, hinting that he may consider his options if that target cannot be met. With Red Bull monitoring his progress, Norris could be tempted to leave at the end of his current deal in 2025 if he feels it will give him a better chance of winning the title.
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown recently moved to dismiss concerns that they might lose Norris in the future. "I'm convinced we're going to give him a winning car," the American said. "We have a long-term contract with him. I think he feels very comfortable within the team... He knows the journey we're on. He has bought into the journey that we're on, and I think it'd be early to be worried about it."
