Ricciardo switched to McLaren this winter to replace Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz, and moved to Renault after two largely frustrating seasons.
Ahead of the F1 season opener this weekend in Bahrain, Ricciardo revealed how intensely preparing for his first McLaren campaign was as he worked to embed himself with the Woking team.
“You’ve worked me pretty hard over the past two months to say the least,” said Ricciardo.
“But let’s say there is a method to madness. He had his reasons and didn’t waste my time. I think we worked efficiently.
“They just tick as many boxes as possible and I think it just goes to show that they put the work into it and are getting the results that they have shown over the years. It was pleasant. “
Expectations for McLaren are higher than they have been for years after the team took a surprising third place in the 2020 Constructors’ Championship.
Ricciardo believes that McLaren’s increased stature is palpable in the F1 paddock and believes there is “a real sense of dynamism” in the team.
“If you look at McLaren from the outside in the last few years, they have taken a massive turn and even their presence in the paddock was more well known in my opinion. It felt bigger,” added the Australian.
“When I get in there, I feel that there is a lot of enthusiasm and motivation. I know these are very clichéd words, but there is a real dynamic in the team.”
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Although Ricciardo only spent three half days in the unknown MCL35M during pre-season testing, he feels up to date with his new car and believes the final performance will come later this season.
“I mean every car is different,” he said when asked about the difference between the McLaren and his old Renault car.
“The best way to put it quickly is that I think we could all jump in every car on the grid and go up to 90%, 95% relatively quickly because, in a way, they’re all doing the same thing.
“They are all an F1 car, they all have their strengths and they all have a lot of downforce.
“Then you probably extract the last 5%, because you use different properties of the car. Whether through traction, through braking or through fast cornering; the list goes on.
“But it wasn’t a massive adjustment, it’s pretty familiar. I think just extracting the last piece will of course take some time.”
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