Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that the first day of pre-season testing took quite a toll on his body, with the impact leaving him with bruises. The Australian was in the McLaren car for the opening day of the test session in Bahrain and - as well as getting used to his new team - he was also reminded of how tough it can be to readjust to the feeling of sitting in a Formula 1 car again following the winter break. "The first time back, after a while you feel so... I've got bruises everywhere," Ricciardo said in a McLaren Unboxed video. "The actual position that we sit in and how tight it is... I wouldn't say it's comfortable, at all. "So we're kind of going through all these forces. It's pretty wild." Despite the difficult side of getting used to being in an F1 car again, Ricciardo appeared to have a positive experience at the pre-season test. McLaren were able to maximise their time on track and didn't seem to suffer any major issues. "I’m really happy to have got it done reliably with no real issues or concerns, it’s been a really smooth three days," Ricciardo stated via a McLaren press release. "I’m really thankful to the team, both here at the track and back at the factory, for putting together a good car for these days at the test. "They’ve really made me feel at home, so I’m feeling comfortable and I can’t wait to come back here and get on track for the Bahrain Grand Prix." Meanwhile team principal Andreas Seidl said that the test had been "productive" for McLaren, and that it also provided a good opportunity for new recruit Ricciardo to "get more familiar with the car and provide useful data and insight for the engineers". Ricciardo joins McLaren following two years at Renault, and will line up alongside new teammate Lando Norris for the opening race in Bahrain on 28 March. Watch the McLaren Unboxed video below.
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