Lando Norris Blamed for ‘Destroying’ McLaren F1 Teammate Daniel Ricciardo as Sacking Rumors Amplify

Daniel Ricciardo is facing troubles at McLaren and is possibly nearing his end! Now claims of Lando Norris destroying him on and off the grid are making the rounds. Notably, Norris’s stellar performances in the same car have been miles ahead of his Australian team mate who has rarely impressed in the MCL-36.

As ‘Honey Badger’ has managed just 11 points in the last seven races, the pressure is on him. He has faced numerous situations such as issues with the car grip, crashes, or just something out of the blue that has hampered his efforts to take the McLaren to the finish line in the top 10.

Sadly, there is a stark difference between his and Norris’ performances where the Briton remains far superior (48 points this season).

Daniel Ricciardo is getting destroyed by Lando Norris

Irish businessman and former motorsport team owner Eddie Jordan has opened up on the situation. Analyzing facts and the clear performative difference, he announced, “Ricciardo is letting the races go by and you rarely get a chance to get this back. I’m not sure where else he can go.”

“Lando is destroying him mentally, physically and on the track and when you have that kind of scenario inside a team, it affects you. So you need to react immediately.”

DIVE DEEPER

The Monaco Grand Prix proved to be another hard ride for the Australian. The ‘Honey Badger’ only managed a 13th place finish and even crashed the car during a practice session. Previously, Spain was a similar result for the driver where he stood 12th while a tonsillitis-ridden Norris skillfully landed his car on a P8, despite heavy discomfort.

Jacques Villeneuve hints toward a decision

Ricciardo has constantly complained about not feeling great about the car. The Aussie is arguably simply not gelling well with the chassis and it reportedly does not suit his driving style. Further, the driver openly received harsh criticism from Boss Zak Brown before the Monaco GP, which Jacques Villeneuve believes is an indication.

The former world champion revealed, “Ricciardo’s time at McLaren is up. Zak Brown is already talking about clauses in his contract, which basically means that they have already made a decision. That is a way of preparing the press and putting pressure on the driver.”

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So, with Norris miles ahead and criticism consistently pouring in for the Australian, what can Daniel Ricciardo do? Is it over for him?

Source: | This article originally belongs to Essentially Sports