Norris: 'Very fast' Piastri pushing me more than Ricciardo

©McLaren

Lando Norris says new McLaren teammate and F1 rookie Oscar Piastri is pushing him "a little bit more" than Daniel Ricciardo in the past two years.

McLaren and Ricciardo parted ways at the end of last season, but given the Australian driver's disappointing results, the latter's contract with team papaya was concluded a year before its term.

McLaren suffered a rocky start to its 2023 campaign, with neither Norris or Piastri scoring points in the first two races. The former finished among the top ten in Melbourne and in Baku while Piastri delivered his first points at his home race in Australia.

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At just 23, Norris is now McLaren's de facto leader, but the Briton admitted that such a status has not fundamentally changed the nature of his collaboration with his teammate.

"I think how I worked last year and how I worked with Daniel, it’s not too different," Norris said. "It’s not like too many things changed.

"They lean on me maybe a little bit more for the knowledge of how we were in previous years – to kind of look at the development from last year to this year and things like that.

©McLaren

"But apart from that you both give your sides of the feelings and the story of what’s going on with the car, what you want from the car, which aligns very well.

"I wouldn’t say we have the same driving style, but our comments and complaints are generally always the same. So I think that’s a good thing."

So far, Piastri, despite his inexperience, is proving to be a better match for Norris than Ricciardo, and the Briton himself admits to as much.

"He’s a lovely guy – a down-to-Earth, normal guy," said Norris. "A hard worker and so on. So it’s good fun.

"[It’s] different, I guess, to Daniel. I feel like a bit of a contrast of Australian, but still good fun.

"He’s very fast at the same time, so probably been pushing me a little bit more than the past couple of years. So, yeah, enjoyable."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.