One of the sensations of the 2021 season has been Lando Norris, who has completed an almost flawless campaign and has easily surpassed Daniel Ricciardo. The Briton believes that Carlos Sainz made him look like a worse driver.
All pilot of Formula 1 It is highly dependent on the performance of your car, so it is inevitable that the first comparison will be with your teammate.
The one who is more competitive automatically receives more praise and increases his prestige, but in many cases there is a tendency towards polarization and discrimination. oversimplification, qualifying the winner as a good pilot and the loser as a bad.
“Everyone knows what Daniel is capable of, while with Carlos no one was aware”
In a way, that is what has happened to Lando norris at McLaren, as during his first two seasons he was overtaken by Carlos Sainz and, after his departure to Ferrari, his prestige has increased notably after being superior to Daniel Ricciardo, the replacement for the Spanish driver at Woking.
Good years, but little valued
And it is that even Lando Norris – one of the drivers Carlos Sainz enjoys the most on the track – admits that the performance of his former teammate at McLaren was spectacular, leading to overshadow his evolution as a Formula 1 driver.
«I think my second year was good. Carlos, I think, is one of the best drivers in Formula 1. He made me not look so good, because he is an extremely good pilot. and he did a very good job, good for him, “admits Lando Norris.
«I think it overshadowed me a bit, because I was doing an exceptional job. I think that this year I have taken the next step and that it would have been similar to his or maybe a little better than him, “says the Briton, who this year has surpassed Daniel Ricciardo in all facets.
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«I always had the motivation of wanting to beat Carlos. At the same time, with Daniel (Ricciardo), I did not feel nervous in any way when he came. Many people thought that maybe I would pass or question myself because he is a multiple race winner, he has podiums.
“Everyone knows what Daniel is capable of because he has been in a car that has won races. While with Carlos nobody really knew what he was capable of, because he has been at Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren »Norris recounts.
«More and more people have realized what he is really capable of and what kind of pilot he is when facing Charles (Leclerc), and beat him quite often, “he concludes.
Certainly, Carlos Sainz has always been an underrated rider who year after year has exceeded the expectations placed on him. Now, the Madrid driver must show that he has the capacity to fight for titles, something that will depend largely on the magnitude of the recovery of Ferrari.