Daniel Ricciardo will start the Hungarian Grand Prix from the back of the field after taking a completely new set of engine components for Sunday’s race at the Hungaroring.
The Renault F1 Team racer had been set to start from eighteenth on the grid after a troubled Qualifying session on Saturday that included a late run-in with Racing Point F1 Team’s Sergio Pérez as they battled for track position ahead of their final quick laps.
But after Renault opted to change his Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, energy store and control electronics, meaning he will take grid penalties as all of these are above his allotted number for the season.
Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul has previously mentioned that Renault are set to introduce an updated power unit after the summer break, so more penalties are likely to come Ricciardo’s way when he takes on this new system.
However, the amount of places he would lose should be reduced in number as it is only the first instance of any new component that takes the full ten-place grid penalty, any subsequent changes will only see him take a five-place drop, although if he takes another complete set, it will again see him be at the rear of the field.
With Ricciardo dropping to the rear of the field, Lance Stroll will move up to eighteenth in his Racing Point, while Williams Racing’s Robert Kubica, who has a lot of Polish fans supporting him this weekend in what is his closest venue to a home race, will start nineteenth.
