Daniel Ricciardo today gave the McLaren MCL35M its first shakedown at Silverstone.
The Australian, who joined the Woking-based team from Renault at the end of 2020, drove the team’s 2021 car on a wet Silverstone circuit.
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Lando Norris, who is about to enter his third season with McLaren, will also soon have an opportunity to drive the MCL35M for the first time.
McLaren unveiled the car on Monday, making them the first team to show their hand – at least partially – ahead of the new season.
The MCL35M is an evolution of McLaren’s 2020 car, the MCL35, and unlike its predecessor, it will have a Mercedes power unit in the back.
“The Mercedes-AMG M12 E Performance was integrated into the design of the MCL35M by McLaren with the support of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains and represents one of several key changes to the car as part of its evolution into the MCL35M,” the team said in a statement.
The newly unveiled car has a similar livery to their 2020 challenger, with McLaren opting to keep its iconic papaya orange and blue colours.
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