Daniel Ricciardo crashes Red Bull’s brand new Formula One car on track debut
Australian driver was behind the wheel of the new RB14 vehicle when it hit the barriers at a wet Silverstone
DANIEL RICCIARDO has crashed Red Bull's new Formula One car on its track debut.
But luckily the team say the damage is only minor as they prepare for testing in Spain next week.
News emerged on Tuesday that the Australian had crashed during a closed session at a wet Silverstone circuit on Monday.
However, a spokesman said: "No issues for Barcelona, we'll be fine."
Footage showed Ricciardo driving the new RB14 down the pit lane before lapping in a cloud of spray.
But the video clip made no mention of any incident that cut the session short after the 28-year-old hit the barriers.
Parts, such as front wings, are always in short supply ahead of the season's first test.
Teams continue to try and build their cars as late as possible.
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And an unnamed source told that the impact was hard enough to damage the car's front, suspension and floor.
But Ricciardo failed to reference any problems in a statement issued by Red Bull after the vehicle's track debut.
He said: "It's hard to tell from a couple of laps but the initial feeling in the car is good.
"I can already feel that the rear feels pretty settled, even in these poor conditions. Those are encouraging early signs."
Red Bull, former champions, won three out of the 20 races last year to finish third behind Mercedes and Ferrari.
And hopes are high that the RB14 will help propel them back into serious contenders again for the title.
As well as the car, Ricciardo was also testing the new "halo" head protection device, which rises from a central pillar in front of the driver and is mandatory this season.
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He said: "So far I can see fine with the halo.
"I'd only done a couple of installs with it before so it was pretty new today but I really didn't notice it was there, which is pretty good.
"Honestly, unless there's stuff above, I don't see any issues at all on a flat track."