Is Lando Norris right to have no compassion for Daniel Ricciardo?

Atmosphere at McLaren. Already in the middle of several “affairs” between the case Piastres and the hasty end of the adventure with Daniel Ricciardo, the team must also juggle a Lando Norris without wooden language. The Briton, who has outrageously outclassed his teammate since the Australian's arrival in 2021, has no empathy for Ricciardo's fate. “ I don't feel like I have to have compassion for any pilot, who wasn't able to do as good a job as mine “, said Norris on the sidelines of the Belgian Grand Prix which will take place on Sunday, adding: “ People will probably hate me for saying that. It's difficult, because I don't know if it might happen to me in the future, with this car or with another team. Now, I don't want to contradict myself in the future. »

Lando Norris takes the opposite view of the speeches of other drivers concerning Daniel Ricciardo. Sebastian Vettel had for example declared at a press conference that the Australian remained “still one of the best drivers” with again “lots to offer”. For the young McLaren protégé, Ricciardo's problems are not his responsibility and he does not see why he should feel sorry for them. “ I just have to concentrate on my driving, on my work. It’s not my place to focus on anyone else. I am not a driver coach (…). I'm here to perform at my absolute best, and that's it. »

Norris, a new image to take him seriously

By expressing his thoughts towards Ricciardo, Lando Norris could come across as a harsh and unsympathetic driver. An image far from the one given to him at the start of his career: that of a teenager with a light heart, caring and not shy of jokes. By playing on this new image, Norris also changes his status, taking inspiration from his good friend Max Verstappen. The Briton becomes a leader, a ruthless competitor, because pity has no place in the quest for a world title. There Formula 1 is the most individual team sport there is, and compassion is not in the rules of the game... Who can imagine a Senna with compassion for Cheers ? A Verstappen for one Hamilton ? 

This shift, made by the young English driver, is also a consequence of the maturity gained in a large caliber team like McLaren. A little earlier in the season, he had already pointed out George Russell's new attitude, declaring that he had “lost its fun side at Mercedes » but that he found it normal in such a successful team.

Lando Norris himself admitted to having buried his very joking temperament within himself after his first season in Formula 1, because he did not feel taken seriously enough. “In a way it's a little different because I think it was more my own choice. I'm the guy I was at the start of 2019, but I think I've just been portrayed too badly with this attitude. I was probably even more like that in F2 and F3, but suddenly all the cameras are on you and you want to make sure you behave properly. » 

A happy medium to find

Be careful not to overdo it for Lando Norris, however. While we can't blame him for having real freedom of speech, something that Formula 1 lacks these days, he shouldn't cross the line into disrespect either. If the words towards Ricciardo are crude, the form lacks class. Nobody is going to ask the Brit to be a good gentleman in front of the cameras, but by wanting to be sharp in his remarks, Norris could damage his image and his reputation.