Lando Norris says his performance last season relative to McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo was an improtant factor in boosting his confidence.
The announcement of Ricciardo's move to the Woking-based outfit after a two-year spell with Renault led to speculation that Norris was set for a difficult time racing alongside the Aussie, an eight-time Grand Prix winner.
However, from the outset last season, it was Ricciardo who struggled to race on a par with his younger teammate although he enjoyed a step up in performance in the second part of McLaren's campaign.
Nevertheless, Norris, who finished sixth in last year's Drivers' standing, 45 points ahead of Ricciardo, says his personal confidence, with which he has battled at times in F1, benefited from him beating experienced teammate.
©McLaren
"There’s always that question when you go up against a driver like that of ‘are you going to do well, is he going to beat me in every single qualifying and race of the season?'" said Norris, quoted by The Race.
"Those thoughts go through the head a bit before the year, but when none of that happens you think ‘OK if I can do this against him, he could beat this guy when he was in the same car then I must be in a decent place’. It makes you think of good things."
Last season, Norris collected four podiums with McLaren while Ricciardo snatched just one top-three finish, albeit a remarkable one as it equated to his sensational win in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
While his assurance and poise were in part boosted by his track record relative to Ricciardo, Norris made sure to keep his self-reliance in check.
"On the flip side, it doesn’t make me feel like I’m suddenly the best driver in the world because there have been some races where Daniel has been quicker than me and qualifyings where he’s been quicker than me," he added.
"He’s still Daniel, once he clicked and finds his way, I hope to still be quicker than him. But I know it’s not like I’m always going to be quicker than him because he’s a very good driver.
"My confidence has definitely come up with how I feel I’ve performed and it’s not necessarily all because I’ve beaten Daniel but a very small part of it is just that little bit more confidence."
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