McLaren’s Mercedes-powered MCL35M car has hit the track for the first time ahead o💜f theꦆ 2021 Formula 1 season.

Lando Norris and new signing Daniel Ricciardo shook down the team’s upgraded 2🍬021 challenger at Silverstone on Tuesday as McLaren used up one of its permitted filming days to give its new car some mileage ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain next month.

Ricciardo reported that his maiden outing with McLaren went 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:“really smooth”, while Norris noted an ins𝕴tant difference in how the Mercedes power unit sounded and felt compared to the team's Renault-powered predecessor.

“There are obviously some differences with the Mercedesꦉ, so it already sounds a bit different and feels a bit different, but it’s not the easiest to tell loads about one lap,” Norris said.

“I already have comments and some fee🎉dback for the Mercedes lot, so we’ll see. I still need to get some more laps to get a good understanding but so far, so good.”

Last week, Mercedes admitted that it was battling some power unit-related problems 🍎ahead of the new season but McLaren, so far at least, has not encountered any issues.

"I mean that's obviously a question for Mercedes 𝕴really,” McLaren technical director James Key said at the team's launch event on Monday. “We couldn't answer that.

"To date, we have done some full-scale testing on a dyno and that's been completely problem-free. But I would say Mercedes are d🥃efinitely the best to answer that, to be honest.”

McLaren is expected to conduct its second and final filming day of the year on Thursday at Silversto🐼ne, with Norris and Ricciardo once again set to share driving duties.