“It’s a good start,” Daniel Ricciardo said of the Bahrain results, given that he will start his first race with McLaren from P6.

Daniel Ricciardo made an impressive qualifying debut for McLaren, who are pleased with their grid positions of P6 and P7 ahead of the race on Sunday.

Ricciardo claims that when he returned to the pitlane, his crew was pleased with the result, saying that he received a thumbs up for his last qualifying round.

“I got a thumbs up,” Ricciardo said when asked how the team’s management had reacted to his qualifying performance. They’ve obviously seen from day one of testing me in the car.”

“I think on the timesheets, I was quick in those first two days [of pre-season], but I think we knew that I was still finding my feet. And so I think they’ve followed my progress in the last two weeks, and for that,” he added.

“I think they’re quite happy to see the evolution over a small period of time. We’ll keep going and hopefully at least to bigger and better things.”

Time will settle me with pace.

Ricciardo thinks that he is still getting used to the car and that the results of his new McLaren will come with time, but this is a positive start.

“I certainly wasn’t on the pace yesterday, but I know that it’s just going to take time,” the 31-year-old admitted. “I think the more laps I do, the more I’ll feel the car and the limit.

“I know I’m experienced in the sport, but the truth is, it does. It does take time, and it will take time to get that last few per cent. So I certainly got closer to it tonight, and for that, I’m happy. I think it’s a good start to the McLaren adventure.”