Renault drivers to cop grid penalties at Spa

Renault F1 Team’s Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg will each incur grid penalties due to engine upgrades at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Each will move onto Renault’s ‘Spec C’ internal combustion engine (ICE) at Spa-Francorchamps, drawing five-position grid penalties.

For Ricciardo, the update represents his fifth ICE and Hulkenberg, his sixth.

UPDATE 🛠
We will be using a new ICE on both cars today. It’s a spec C, with minor upgrades to reliability and performance. Introducing it here will incur a 5-place penalty for both drivers for Sunday’s race.#RSspirit #BelgianGP

— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) August 30, 2019

The former took a set of new power unit elements in the last race, before the summer break in Hungary, having qualified a lowly 18th.

There is no word on whether or not McLaren, Renault’s engine customer, will also take updates.

Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon and Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat are also in for engine-related penalties, while Lance Stroll too is likely to be bumped back on the starting grid due to updates for all Mercedes-powered teams.

Practice 1 at Spa-Francorchamps starts at 1900 AEST.