Ricciardo enjoys 'smooth' shakedown onboard MCL35M

Daniel Riccardo took over from Lando Norris on Tuesday afternoon at Silverstone as the Aussie sampled McLaren's new MCL35M during the team's filming day at the British track.

Both drivers were forced to contend with predictably wet conditions as they conducted a thorough systems check of their new mount during their respective runs.

But Ricciardo had no particular complaints at the end of a smooth first spin onboard McLaren's 2021 contender, save for feeling a bit rusty.

"It feels longer than two months! It always takes a little while to get the cobwebs out. I think, in these greasy conditions, they don’t fill you with confidence after it’s been a while since you’ve been in a car!” Ricciardo said.

"But, it’s nice. Everything’s ran really smooth, we completed what we had to and that’s all you can ask for. The more laps I turn, the more confidence and comfort I’ll feel with this team."

• Read also: McLaren MCL35M hits the track at Silverstone

Ricciardo highlighted the orderly ramp up targeted by the team ahead of pre-season testing which will kick off on march 12.

"Every little bit helps getting up to speed," he said. "Going through all the procedures.

"The plan and target is to get to Bahrain Sunday afternoon, be on the grid, and for there to be not an inch of panic. It’s really about feeling comfortable and familiar with all the crew.

"We’re trying to go through scenarios we’d face on a race weekend. We don’t have the atmosphere around us but we can try to replicate it and put a bit of pressure on ourselves."

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