Ricciardo not number one at McLaren: 'Not as long as I'm team boss'

With Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren has brought in a Grand Prix winner for next season, but that doesn't mean he will have a preferred role within the team. Team boss Andreas Seidl is very clear about that.

This season Ricciardo is in a duo with Lando Norris, someone clearly less experienced than the Australian top driver. Yet there will be no clear number one and two within the team. "As long as I am team boss, there is no definite number one," Seidl told German RTL/ntv in an interview. "It is unnecessary and not conducive to team dynamics."

According to Seidl, this also played no part in the contract negotiations with Ricciardo.

Seidl is very happy with his new driver pair, he revealed. "It will be a very strong pair." For Norris, it will already be his third year with the team. "You can almost call him a veteran already," jokes Seidl. "He has developed very well in the last two years and I expect him to take the next step this season."

So Ricciardo and Norris may battle it out on the track. "They are both competitive and attacking drivers, but we have ground rules within the team. I'm looking forward to the battle between Lando and Daniel, but don't expect any problems at all."

Following the departure of Fernando Alonso in 2018, McLaren will have a Grand Prix winner back in the house for the first time this season. "That's a reference we missed in the last two years. He has proven in the past that with the right material he can win races."