Lando Norris signs new ‘Multi-Year’ deal with McLaren.

Soldato
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How good or bad this deal is all depends on how McLaren adapt to the new regs next year.

McLaren do have a strong driver lineup at the moment and it would be good to see them challenging Merc and Red Bull so keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Caporegime
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I'm more worried about his form than anything else. Assume all will be good for him by next year, assuming they don't throw the teddies this year.
Read a thread on Twitter, Ricciardo likes to brake late and trail brake into corners but the McLaren doesn't like that and then tends to understeer which means going even slower. He'll come good and I'm sure they'll make sure next years car is more benign and responsive to him and his input.
 
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Read a thread on Twitter, Ricciardo likes to brake late and trail brake into corners but the McLaren doesn't like that and then tends to understeer which means going even slower. He'll come good and I'm sure they'll make sure next years car is more benign and responsive to him and his input.

That's pretty cool, was worried seeing Norris lapping him, at least it's a known problem.
 
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Norris lapping him is a huge problem that won't go unnoticed.

Depends what happens from here. If Dani Ric can start delivering the performances we expect from him later into the year, this will be forgiven, and forgotten, as a difficult teething period getting used to a new car; if he can't then it'll be remembered as the moment when it became clear DR couldn't cut it at McLaren.
 
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Depends what happens from here. If Dani Ric can start delivering the performances we expect from him later into the year, this will be forgiven, and forgotten, as a difficult teething period getting used to a new car; if he can't then it'll be remembered as the moment when it became clear DR couldn't cut it at McLaren.
I think you're right, although I would say the impression I get is that McLaren aren't quite as cut throat as others and will probably give him two years at least. The fact that Ricciardo moved out of the way for Norris at the Emillia Romagna Grand Prix shows he's a team player (for now at least) and shouldn't cause them internal issues. I'm sure there's a lot to be said for that.

The other side to consider is their 'marketability' for want of a better word. The two together are going to be giving a massive boost to their social media presence and that in turn should be making more money from sponsorships etc. McLaren have pushed hard in that area in recent years from what I've seen.
 
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Looks like Horner was correct in scratching his head when he left Redbull . That being said Dannynis a much better driver than his results are showing, or is Lando that good ?

DR was always going to be the number 2 driver at RBR as Max is clearly the Chosen One. He’ll be good once he gets used to driving the McLaren. Same as last season at Renault.
 
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DR was always going to be the number 2 driver at RBR as Max is clearly the Chosen One. He’ll be good once he gets used to driving the McLaren. Same as last season at Renault.
The problem he's got is, is Lando going to be the chosen one at Mclaren. As soon as they start mixing with Merc and Redbull, they're going to have to make the same "one driver" strategy...
 
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The problem he's got is, is Lando going to be the chosen one at Mclaren. As soon as they start mixing with Merc and Redbull, they're going to have to make the same "one driver" strategy...

I'd have to agree; its unusual that a car gets built to suit both drivers; hell its more likely that a car suits neither; on current form if I was the McLaren technical team I'd be listening to what Lando Norris wants rather than Danny Ric.

I feel Ricciardo is a very good driver but more of a Coulthard, Barrichello or Massa who will only ever luck into a World title rather than someone who is going to go out and grab it; makes total sense that McLaren took him though; he's a fairly big profile driver again and really there weren't many other options last year save for opting to bring someone back into F1 like Hulkenburg or Alonso or taking a punt on a very demoralised Sebastian Vettel.
 
Caporegime
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I'd have to agree; its unusual that a car gets built to suit both drivers; hell its more likely that a car suits neither; on current form if I was the McLaren technical team I'd be listening to what Lando Norris wants rather than Danny Ric.

I feel Ricciardo is a very good driver but more of a Coulthard, Barrichello or Massa who will only ever luck into a World title rather than someone who is going to go out and grab it; makes total sense that McLaren took him though; he's a fairly big profile driver again and really there weren't many other options last year save for opting to bring someone back into F1 like Hulkenburg or Alonso or taking a punt on a very demoralised Sebastian Vettel.
They could have taken a punt on Stoffel Vandoorne again. He’s still a very good driver who didn’t have the car to show what he was capable of and he was up against one of the best drivers of the modern era. A Merc reserve driver too so might have got a wee sweetener from Merc too!
 
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They could have taken a punt on Stoffel Vandoorne again. He’s still a very good driver who didn’t have the car to show what he was capable of and he was up against one of the best drivers of the modern era. A Merc reserve driver too so might have got a wee sweetener from Merc too!

Always though Vandoorne should have been given another season; Nick de Vries might have been a good option too (who I think was actually supported/sponsored by McLaren at one point)
 
Soldato
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Don't see the shout for Vandoorne, as disappointing as it may have been to see his opportunity cut short, he's 29 now (i think that'd make him the 6th oldest on the grid?), why would you take a punt on a 29 year old who's been out for a couple of years and didn't really set the world on fire the first time round?
 
Caporegime
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Don't see the shout for Vandoorne, as disappointing as it may have been to see his opportunity cut short, he's 29 now (i think that'd make him the 6th oldest on the grid?), why would you take a punt on a 29 year old who's been out for a couple of years and didn't really set the world on fire the first time round?
His record in the feeder series was exemplary, there’s no doubt in my mind he’s a great driver who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
Soldato
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They've already got their 'exemplary in feeder series, now to prove it in F1' driver in Norris though, Ricciardo with almost a decade of (pretty varied) experience to bring to the table makes way more sense than giving Vandoorne another chance. It would have been nice to see him with a better opportunity but I just can't see him as a choice that makes sense to pair with Norris for a team like McLaren.
 
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