Daniel Ricciardo expects his preparations for the 2017 Formula One season to be “more fun” than in recent years, with the Red Bull ace pleased to do “a bit more strength training”.

Next year will see the introduction of wider and faster cars, with lap times expected to be up to five seconds quicker than at present.

The FIA’s blueprint for the 2017 rules revolution was partly based around the idea that modern F1 challengers are allegedly too easy to drive and not physically demanding enough.

Ricciardo explains how he has mapped out his winter in view of the new situation.

“For me it is going to be more fun personally because we will do a bit more strength training and I kind of enjoy it,” the Australian said. “The last couple of years, you are doing a lot of training just to keep your weight down, so a lot of longer endurance but not very high intensity to not put muscle on.

“So in a way the training we have done is a little bit more boring, whereas now we can actually push harder in training and we can afford to put on some muscle and things like this. So it will be more challenging but more rewarding.”

Ricciardo will only get his first taste of his 2017 charger when pre-season testing gets under way in late February, with two four-day sessions scheduled at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

“In a way it is quite nice that the testing is late,” the four-time grand winner added. “That gives us a good chance to physically get a bit more time for ourselves to train.

“That is one thing with such a long season, a lot of races during the year, you don’t get a lot of time to train physically as well as you would like. You get a day here a day there, you don’t really get like a week of proper training, very rarely.

“So I am actually excited to get a proper nearly two months of proper training outside of the car before we test. So that uninterrupted period will be quite nice.

“So I am sure after the New Year, after I have had my fun partying and whatever I will be very ready to start again, so the second of January the switch will be turned back on.”

Technical analysis – Abu Dhabi

Scene at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Quotes of the week

DRIVER RATINGS: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

OPINION: A worthy champion

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Click Here: ADELAIDE CROWS 2019 MEN’S HOME GUERNSEY