Ricciardo mentioned the reasons why he is inferior to Norris

Four races before the end of the season, Daniel Ricciardo has just 29 points, while his McLaren teammate Lando Norris has 101. Because of such a difference in results, the team decided to end the services of an Australian driver early – instead in 2023. Ricciardo’s Oscar Piastri will take the wheel of a McLaren.

After the podium in Suzuka, Daniel mentioned the reasons why he cannot perform at the same level as Norris: “To answer the question briefly, I can give two reasons.

First, Lando is very good – there is no point in denying this fact. If I were to say that Lando is a bad racer, it would make me recognize myself as a loser. He is a good racer who has found his way to the car.

Second, happiness lies in ignorance. I’m not trying to say that Lando knows nothing about race technology, not at all. Technically he understands the car very well, but McLaren is the only Formula 1 car he has driven. Of course, the cars of different years differed from each other, but these are all variants of the same technique. He didn’t drive for other teams and was used to some of the characteristics of McLaren cars.

Although I hate to say it, I still had expectations about what a Formula 1 car should be, what potential it should have. Lando can look at the CCTV footage from other cars and say, “I wish our car could do that too, I don’t like the behavior from the rear,” but he has no experience driving another car. This is his ‘happiness in ignorance’.

I am well aware that I am not perfect and that I have weaknesses. Unfortunately, this year’s car demonstrated this fact perfectly. It’s humiliating in a way, but I can keep working to get better.

I still don’t understand why we didn’t succeed. In one weekend we learn something new, step forward and discover a new problem. On the one hand we have progress compared to last weekend, but on the other – a new obstacle. We overcome it, but next weekend we find another problem. As a result, walking begins in a circle and we fail to take a step forward.

I definitely consider myself an optimist – my glass is half full. Every time I gathered myself together and said, “We’ll solve the problem, I’ll find a solution.” But the longer it took, the… I don’t want to be naive, you know?

The more you scratch your head, the fewer options you have and the less confident you become. We have tried to maintain morale as a team, but there is no denying that the problems hit people hard.”