Lando Norris lays into Netflix F1 series as he gushes over "special" teammate

Lando Norris has insisted the Netflix Formula 1: Drive to Survive doesn't provide a "true" portrayal of his friendship with McLaren team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

The Australian joined the British team from Renault ahead of the 2021 campaign, forming an intriguing partnership with the youngster. Many assumed it would be 'The Honey Badger' who would be the team's No 1 driver, but it was Norris who finished higher in the drivers' standings.

The British driver was sixth on 160 points, 45 ahead of Ricciardo in eighth. The pair ensured a fourth-placed finish in the constructors' race.

It was Ricciardo who recorded the team's only win though, leading Norris home at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The result represented McLaren's first 'one-two' since the Canadian Grand Prix in 2010.

And despite a tough start to the 2022 campaign for both drivers, Norris has insisted he has a strong relationship with Ricciardo, ahead of the latter's home Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend. And that's despite the Netflix series hinting at tensions.

The 22-year-old said the series was “maybe not the most accurate and true story that gets revealed," as he praised his partner to The Age. “I guess we got to know each other more and more over the last few seasons and how we work together."

Has the F1 Netflix series gone too far in trying to create drama? Let us know in the comments section.

Norris has long been considered a future star of the sport, and McLaren made a statement of intent this year by tying him down to a lucrative contract that runs until the end of 2025. And he said growing up, Ricciardo was one of the drivers he admired.

“We’ve become much better friends and it’s been like an honour for me in many ways because I’ve grown up watching Daniel of the last 10 years or so," he added. "When I was a kid or teenager, Daniel was one of the guys I looked up to and aspired to be like.

“He was the cool guy in Formula One. So, it was cool to grow up watching him and then also now be his teammate and get to witness everything that he’s made of and what makes him so special.”

F1 returns to Victoria this week after a two-year absence due to Covid-19, and Norris is relishing the prospect. “Daniel’s home race is an exciting one for him and one I think it is a pleasure for me to be a part of," he said.

Source: Read Full Article