Ex-teammates Ricciardo, Norris in terribly awkward post-race chat

Awkward interviews happen in professional sport but Daniel Ricciardo was involved in an all-time stinker at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo makes a familiar hand motion as the chat gets underway. Photo: YouTube

Some of the best - and worst - television often involves what is known as “car crash TV”.

The term has never been more appropriately used than for the chat between ex-Formula 1 teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris after Monday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of The 2023 MotoGP World Championship Live & Ad-Break Free During Racing on Kayo. Join now and start streaming instantly >

The term typically refers to broadcasts of shocking, controversial or disturbing material.

Ricciardo and Norris fit firmly in that camp after their post-race chat on F1.com.

McLaren driver Norris, who overtook Ricciardo late in the race to finish fifth in Mexico City, had been chatting with the panel for a few minutes when the Australian arrived.

Daniel Ricciardo makes a familiar hand motion as the chat gets underway. Photo: YouTube

Ever the polished TV performer, the West Australian’s first move on camera was to wave his hand in front of his nose and ask: “Did you fart?”

Here we go.

“There’s an open drain over there,” host Will Buxton says. “It’s pretty bad.”

“Smells like cow,” Norris adds.

“That’s thick,” Ricciardo replies, like he’s talking to a good mate or a sibling rather than the roughly 160,000 people that have viewed the video.

“How are ya?” he adds.

Blessedly, the conversation gets somewhat back on track, with Buxton turning attention to seventh-placed Ricciardo, who recorded his best result since the same Grand Prix 12 months ago.

Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris taking subtle and not-so-subtle digs at each other. Photo: YouTube

After congratulating Ricciardo, Buxton asks about the race and the Aussie quickly turned to Norris in his response.

“It was cool. I actually want to ask (Lando) a few questions.

“I feel like probably before the red (flag) we were looking even better, but did you have really good pace before the red?”

“Yeah,” Norris answers.

“OK, do you think you would have caught me?”

Norris went “Ahh, tough.”

Ricciardo took advantage of the pause, jumping in with “No. Okay, so I could have got fifth. There you go. So what a bummer.”

Neither driver was going to back down, with Norris firing back: “If I qualified well yesterday I would have been on the podium, so.”

Ricciardo and Norris taking part in a different sort of race when they were teammates last season. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

“What happened yesterday?” Ricciardo asks. “No – we’ll talk about that later.

“No I’m happy, I’m happy. It’s been a while. But in general just an awesome weekend I think, from start to finish it was good.

“Also to fight George (Russell) on the last lap, for us to be fighting a Mercedes at the end, obviously when you get that close you look at two more points, but big picture we should be very happy.”

The two are clearly enjoying the banter, before Buxton asks Norris: “Do you have a question for Daniel?”

The drivers stare at each other for a second or two before the Brit asks Ricciardo how he found his AlphaTauri, particularly since his return from a broken wrist.

That led to an exchange about Ricciardo’s driving style and his apparent habit of lifting his pinky on his left hand, seemingly compensating for his injury.

“So delicate when he drives” Norris says.

“Very petite” Ricciardo agrees.

Finally they get back onto real racing talk, with the “Honey Badger” discussing his finish to the race, when Norris was able to overtake him in one of the best moves of the race.

“I was in two minds, Lando was coming through so quick,” he said.

“On one hand you never just want to wave someone by. But we thought obviously he could maybe catch George and bring George back to us.

LAP 61/71

Norris and Ricciardo stuck together like glue!

Superb racing between the former team mates 🤩#F1#MexicoGPpic.twitter.com/ZCW1mi7phb

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 29, 2023

“In the end that’s what happened.”

“I’ll do that next time,” Norris replies.

“Thanks for that,” Ricciardo says.

And with that they both promptly walk away still carrying the F1.com microphones.

It followed an earlier chat on Sky Sports when Norris, who was voted driver of the day ahead of Ricciardo, was asked about his favourite overtaking move in the race.

“The one on Daniel,” he said. “Yeah I mean he’s the ‘king of late braking’, right?

“We must have been very, very close. I braked earlier than I think he thought I would. So then he braked, I just got off the brake and I got him on the outside.

“I would have wanted to hit him if I could. It would have been even more fun.”

We can only hope for more of these on-track battles in the closing three races of the season.