WATCH: Daniel Ricciardo drift the McLaren Artura

McLaren has released a new video of its star F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo driving the new 2021 McLaren Artura well beyond the limit on a test track in the UK.

Filmed last month as part of the Aussie hero's induction into the McLaren F1 race team, Ricciardo is believed to be among the first outside of the Woking-based engineering team to have driven McLaren's first series-production plug-in hybrid supercar.

It's fair to say he doesn't waste the opportunity, driving the $455,000 (plus ORCs) McLaren Artura well beyond its limit, drifting it effortlessly around the Brands Hatch circuit.

As well as keeping McLaren's rival to cars like the Ferrari F8 Tributo on its lock-stops, Ricciardo also demonstrates the electrified supercar's pure-electric driving mode.

Unveiled back in February, the 2021 McLaren Artura is shaping up to be one of the most exciting cars of this year.

The new entry McLaren has the tech and firepower to dominate its highly competitive class, from its all-new ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre architecture to its technically advanced twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that's paired with a 70kW/225Nm electric motor to produce 500kW and 720Nm of torque.

Speaking of performance, McLaren says the Artura can demolish the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.0 seconds flat, reach 200km/h in 8.3sec and 300km/h in 21.5sec. Top speed is electronically limited to 330km/h.

On the flipside, the Artura is billed as the most fuel-efficient McLaren ever produced, consuming a miserly 5.5L/100km on the combined EU WLTP cycle and emitting just 129g/km of CO2.

The 7.4kWh battery pack, meanwhile, as ably demonstrated by Ricciardo, supports 30km electric-only range.

Other new goodies ensuring McLaren's latest driver's company car is up to the task include a lightweight eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that is capable of shifting in 200 milliseconds, with the torque of the E-motor used to smooth the transition from one ratio to the next.

Interestingly, the transmission makes do without a reverse gear, as the E-motor runs in reverse instead, whenever you need to back up.

Finally, a completely new rear suspension concept and McLaren’s first electronically controlled rear differential allow the full accessibility of the car’s dynamic behaviour to be separated from its high-speed stability.

Ricciardo, meanwhile, will hope for a better result at this weekend's Italian GP.

In his inaugural race for McLaren in Bahrain, carsales' global ambassador could only manage a seventh-place finish.

Making matters worse, Ricciardo's British teammate, Lando Norris, outperformed the Aussie, finishing the race in a very respectable fourth.