Daniel Ricciardo was left bemoaning the unrepresentative weather conditions in Barcelona, as cold temperatures limited teams running on Day 1 of Formula 1 testing.
The Australian was the quickest man in the Red Bull RB14 and also completed the most laps, 105, as the Milton Keynes outfit achieved their goal of reaching the century mark on the first day.
However, in the afternoon, as clouds and later rain moved in, the track was so cold that even in the dry teams were using intermediate tyres because the slicks could not cope.
“I am a bit frustrated because, although we had a good day, when we come here in May it is a completely different track,” Ricciardo said. “So part of me wishes we were somewhere else like Bahrain where you can get some real testing in real temperatures.
“I know it is convenient for the teams here, it is close in Europe, but we learned a lot about reliability today but other than that, I don’t want to be negative but it is a bit frustrating when you can’t do too much.”
Also Read:
- Renault focus on engine reliability knocks Red Bull confidence
- Ricciardo confident of stronger Red Bull title challenge in 2018
Despite the lack of ability to test performance, the five-time Grand Prix, who is considering his future with Red Bull as he enters the final year of his contract, does see a good baseline from which to build.
“Potentially yeah, but it is very early," he said about any championship hopes. "Today was positive but the reality is that we are never going to drive in these conditions.
