Daniel Ricciardo affirms that adapting to the braking system on his new McLaren car will come as his biggest challenge ahead of the 2021 Formula 1 season.
The Australian driver carries a reputation for being intrepid on peddles. Well, that’s how he has pulled off several audacious overtakes since the past 10 years in F1. Still, it all depends on him getting fully comfortable with the brakes, something he is yet to achieve with McLaren during the pre-season test.
“It’s certainly different [the braking aspects of his McLaren MCL35M] again so I’m still probably adapting or adjusting to that,” he told reporters at the end of the pre-season test with Mclaren.
“Going from Red Bull to Renault and Renault to McLaren, probably the braking is the biggest thing which it seems like you need to adapt. That is one where I am still trying to get on top of it and understand where the limit is”.
Ricciardo believes that it’s more of a mechanical feeling than anything else.
“With the braking, it’s more probably just a mechanical feeling. I think even things like new cars, new pedals, and positioning. It’s probably more just a feel on that physically than anything else for now.”
This isn’t the first time when he is facing challenges while adapting to the new braking system. Ricciardo faced the same issues during the initial phases of his stint with his previous team Renault. Despite those initial hiccups, he managed to get comfortable with the brakes eventually.
Daniel Ricciardo seems impressed with the work culture at Mclaren
Credits: Getty Images
Despite his statement regarding the adjustment with the new braking system, Ricciardo got all the praises for Mclaren’s team outfit. He is especially impressed with the work culture within the team that is well supported by every official and professional involved.
The Australian driver has also spent some quality time at MTC [McLaren Technology Centre] in February. So, he already got a fair bit of knowledge regarding the functioning process of the British F1 team.
“I spent a fair bit of time at MTC [McLaren Technology Centre] in February, so I feel like I got that process done, as far as figuring out not only the names of people in the team but how they operate,” he said.
With just one week left for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Team Mclaren didn’t have much time to let Ricciardo adapt to the new car. Hence, both the driver and the team engineers have to find a perfect way out immediately.
Also read: Nico Rosberg thinks Max Verstappen is “absolutely” capable of winning Bahrain Grand Prix
