Norris and Ricciardo not the dream team we hoped for: "Different interests"

When it was announced that Daniel Ricciardo would be the new teammate of Lando Norris at McLaren, many viewers were already on the edge of their seats in anticipation of all sorts of comical scenes. The combination of Norris and Carlos Sainz often made people laugh, as did the 'dynamic duo' that Ricciardo formed with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. However, the magic between the two is now missing, but why?

Partly the reason lies in the difference in interests of the drivers. "We get on well and laugh with each other and we're good friends, but our interests off the track are just very different," Norris said in conversation with Motorsport.com. "He's more into making wine and clothes, while I'm more into golf and E-sports. Carlos was a bit more into that, so we would sometimes golf together or race each other on the simulator."

The key to Norris' success

Norris has also become more serious as a driver, something that has been evident in his interviews lately and the fact that he can be found less online on his Twitch channel. "I think I'm concentrating more than I used to and spending more time on the important things, like focusing on driving and getting good performances," the 21-year-old Briton told us.

According to the McLaren driver, the key to this lies in spending more time with his engineers, and less time chatting and having fun. Perhaps it is a little less fun for his fans, but this approach seems to work. In 2020, Norris was already showing great things, a line he has continued in the current Formula 1 season. He is currently one of the most consistent drivers in the championship, battling it out with Sergio Perez for third place.