Daniel Ricciardo pleased with first drive of the MCL36 pleased after first drive of the MCL36
Daniel Ricciardo has shared his first impressions of McLaren’s 2022 car after trying out the MCL36 in Barcelona.
Heading into his 12th Formula 1 season, Ricciardo said he was excited to experiment with the uncharted design of the new era car, with the sport having totally overhauled the regulations.
“It’s the most anticipation I’ve had to drive a new car in a long time,” he said.
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“Obviously every year you’re excited but this has been the biggest change probably ever – at least in my time in F1.”
Unsure what to expect heading into testing, having only previously completed simulator work, Ricciardo was elated with the feel of the physical car.
“The real thing is the real thing and it’s very different sometimes, so I want to say I was pleased for now,” he said.
Without setting lap times, Ricciardo admitted that McLaren does not know where they sit compared to the other teams but are satisfied with what they have been able to put together.
“They’ve done a really good job building it, it was reliable, so [there’s] a nice big smile on a lot of faces in the garage,” he said.
F1 pre-season testing kicks off tonight in Barcelona, with all 10 teams set to hit the track for a shakedown. This will be the first chance for the opposing teams and fans to see how the new cars stack up against each other.
In preparation, Ricciardo said he was feeling good about the bench test.
“We’re going for it,” he said.
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