Switching teams is never easy for an F1 driver. It is because extracting the best performance out of oneself requires a driver to get accustomed to his car. This is something that Daniel Ricciardo does not underestimate.

Daniel Ricciardo is not new to a change of teams, having moved from the comfort bubble of Red Bull to Renault at the end of the 2018 season. And it wasn’t plain sailing for him in the beginning as he struggled in 2019 before making strides last year.

But, now he has the challenge of undergoing that learning curve again after switching to McLaren this season. He finished the season-opener in Bahrain at a respectable seventh position. But the best is yet to come.

So when can we expect him to get to the grips with the MCL35M?

“It’s hard to really know. [From] previous experience with Renault, I remember specifically it was race three that I felt like finally, I’d done a decent weekend. I’m not saying I was fully up to speed by race three, but that was like okay, I’d kind of got over that hurdle,” said Daniel Ricciardo

“I do feel like I’ve started a step in front. But to know when I’ll be nailing a perfect lap, hopefully not too long, but I can’t answer that at the moment, I’m not sure.”

The Long List of Cars Owned and Driven by Daniel Ricciardo

Rigorous work with McLaren in the offseason paying off for Daniel Ricciardo

The Australian had been working his socks off over the winter. There were plenty of zoom calls between himself and the team engineers in a bid to prepare him for this season. So, he did not shy away from praising his new F1 crew –

“I think they’ve worked me pretty hard over the last few months pretty well. They’ve done a pretty outstanding job to get me up to speed and I guess to educate me as much as possible with the team.”

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Hopefully, Ricciardo can rely on his decade-long experience in the sport to help him feel comfortable with the car. Maybe then we can see him at his best – gulping down the champagne from his race-worn shoe on the Podium.