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Zak Brown drives Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren F1 car at Silverstone

Zak Brown tests Daniel Ricciardo's winning McLaren F1 car at Silverstone

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  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

Zak Brown has tested Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren car from the 2021 season. The Australian driver drove the MCL35M to victory in the Italian Grand Prix. The McLaren team boss was overjoyed with the test, which came just a day after Visa Cash App RB confirmed Ricciardo had been forced out of F1.

Several drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, have paid tribute to the eight-time Grand Prix winner. His final win on that list came at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. At that point, McLaren were not overly competitive in Formula 1 and took a surprise victory. Lando Norris, Ricciardo's teammate at the time, came second in the race.

Brown drives the F1 car himself

The McLaren CEO is a keen driver himself. He jumped in the cockpit at Silverstone. "An awesome day testing Daniel's 2021 #ItalianGP winning MCL35M at Silverstone. I’m a racer at heart and It's a privilege to drive such a meaningful car to me! And it turns out I'm faster than Pato. Who would have thought? (I wish!). A huge thank you to the whole crew who put the day together and set the car up," Brown said on social media.

McLaren finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship that season. In 2024, Norris and Oscar Piastri are looking to duel with Red Bull Racing and beat them in both world championships.