McLaren hit the track for the first time with a new MCL35M F1 powered Mercedes at Silverstone

Lando Norris will finish Silverstone’s first wet lap in McLaren’s new car, which was launched Monday; Daniel Ricciardo gets his first record for the team

McLaren’s first car in a Mercedes in seven years debuted at Silverstone on Tuesday.

On a wet morning at a British doctor’s surgery, Lando Norris was honored to complete the first launch of the recently launched MCL35M.

Talking to Sky Sports News, Norris said: “First of all, it ‘s good to be back in a race car. It’ s good to sit in the machine that everyone has worked so hard to put together. .Hats off and a big thank you to everyone on the team.

“It was nice. A wet situation and difficult to get an original feel, but beautiful to be back in a race car and push it to the minimum. A few oversteers and understeers in there, and like I like that. “

Daniel Ricciardo’s new signing will get his first run at McLaren later in the day.

F1 filming days are limited to 100km with the cars running on designated tires. Pre-season formal trials begin in Bahrain on March 12-14.

McLaren have improved their final position in the F1 Builders Championship in each of the last three seasons and last year returned to third place for the first time since 2012.

After signing Ricciardo, a seven-time race winner, and reuniting with engines from world champions Mercedes, the Woking team are hopeful they will continue with the new season.

However, Zak Brown called pushing for an F1 world title at this stage “impractical”.

“We can only hope and try to close the gap to Mercedes, who we expect to be the fastest team again in ’21,” Brown said. “The rules haven’t changed much so I don’t think 2021 will look very different from 2020 for the whole grid, just expect it to get even closer.

“We went into Abu Dhabi with the ability to finish third, fourth or fifth and I think it’s so close. I expect it to be even closer this year . “