McLaren presented their new car for 2021 on Monday evening. There we also saw Daniel Ricciardo for the first time in the McLaren colors. During a press moment from McLaren prior to the unveiling of the new car, he revealed how he actually spoke to the team back in 2018.
"I think I can say it. I'll just say it, I have nothing to hide. It's for three years," an always cheerful Ricciardo told GP Blog, among others.
"That's certainly enough time to get this thing going. Obviously, I feel like coming here with a bunch of momentum behind the team as well. Not only with results but also with some really good stability in the team."
Outlook at McLaren is now better
When I spoke to McLaren a couple of years ago, back in 2018. I don't think Andreas [Seidl] was there yet, James Key wasn't. There were still quite a few moving parts. Not only were the results not quite on track yet, they were still trying to figure out their own structure. I think they really established that now. I'm basically fitting in the puzzle, instead of trying to piece it together. "
Ricciardo spoke with McLaren before his departure from Red Bull Racing but then opted for a lucrative adventure with the Renault factory team . In 2020 this yielded some podium places, but he will hope for more at McLaren, especially given the power unit he now has at his disposal.
"I've been driving with a Renault in the back of the car since the beginning of the hybrid era, so I'm looking forward to experiencing something new. They [Mercedes] have had a lot of success, so I expect something decent of course," added Ricciardo.