Daniel Ricciardo has become the first man to drive a 2018-spec Formula 1 car on track, taking the new Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 through its paces on a wet Silverstone International circuit.
Ricciardo was limited to just 100km of running, due to the day being cited as a filming day. The run came hours after Red Bull officially released pictures of the RB14 in a striking, limited edition livery, designed to mask some of the car’s key features for the time being.
The official colour scheme is set to be announced ahead of winter testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next week.
“They have got it running, they’ve got it out of the garage and it has come back on its own steam,” said Sky Sports F1‘s David Croft.
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“They’ve done that ahead of Ferrari, ahead of Mercedes, and it’s the first time Red Bull have done this.
“They’ve prioritised getting to the first test with the car working properly so they can then work on improvements and making it faster,” Croft added.
“They didn’t have that luxury last year.”
Red Bull are looking for a return to championship contention in 2018, having been hampered by sluggish starts in recent seasons, and have released their car ahead of Scuderia Ferrari and reigning world champions Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport – both are to launch their season on Thursday.
“Adrian Newey has been told ‘we want a car ready for the first test’ – and that’s what he’s delivered.” said Croft.
