F1: Red Bull takes engine change penalties

Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat will incur grid penalties for Sunday's Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix after Red Bull chose to change engines on both cars.

A series of Renault power unit failures this season left Ricciardo and Kvyat on the fourth and final engine of their allocation while the Red Bull-Renault alliance continued to struggle for performance and reliability. Ricciardo hinted the team would consider making the change and on Thursday evening the decision was made, with both drivers to drop 10 places for the race.

Speaking before the change, Ricciardo said: "It's likely, we're definitely looking into it. If it is not here, it's in the next few races. We have to look at chances in Silverstone and Budapest. I wouldn't be surprised if we had it here."

It follows a poor weekend in Canada for the Australian, who finished a lap down in 13th, a year after winning his first grand prix. Following the result, Ricciardo – who has changed his chassis for this weekend – said he had changed his expectations.

"I probably came in there [Canada] emotional from what happened a year earlier and hoping for too much," he said. "So that probably set the target too high from the start and it spiraled into a poor weekend, obviously for some other reasons as well.

"We come here with a fresh approach on it all and a new chassis. I think we have got rid of any variables which were maybe there in Canada. I looked back on it all and said, 'OK, unfortunately for now we have to lower the bar.'

"We are not looking at the big picture of getting a podium or a top five and instead making sure we do everything to maximize the weekend for now. I just need to learn to be a bit more patient. Whatever the position that puts us in we will accept it and move on."

Originally on Autosport.com