MONTMELO, Spain -- Daniel Ricciardo put Red Bull top of the order at lunch during the first day of 2018's pre-season testing.
At the end of a session Renault's Nico Hulkenberg, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas exchange fastest times, Ricciardo joined the circuit with five minutes remaining to post a 1:20.179 on the medium tyre. Red Bull, running its proper race livery after using a special camouflage edition for its launch last week, is hoping to continue the encouraging gains it discovered at the tail-end of 2017.
While the morning was encouraging for one Renault engine customer, it was frustrating for the French company's newest partner.