Andreas Seidl, Team Principal at McLaren F1 Team, has explained that Daniel Ricciardo will not be the number one driver for the team during the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Ricciardo will join the Woking based team next season as he leaves Renault Sport F1 Team at the end of the year. However, the seven-time race winner will not become the number 1 in the team with Lando Norris.
Seidl explained to SkySports F1, that he does not want to have a number 1, even though Riccardo has more experience and has been in Formula 1 since 2011.
“As long as I’m the team boss, no one at the start of the season will ever be the number one.“
Seidl expressed that he plans to continue equal status that Norris and, 2021 Scuderia Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz Jr. have had at the team and took McLaren to fourth in the championship standings last year.
Seidl went on to praise Norris and Ricciardo explaining, they were a good pairing to have with them as the team will switch to Mercedes AMG Petronas power units.
“If someone has as long a road to go as we do, you need two drivers equal to each other, as we had in 2019 with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris.
“With Lando and Daniel we have another great duo. Not only sporty but also when it comes to presenting McLaren as a brand.”
