Ricciardo to get new chassis for Bahrain GP

Daniel Ricciardo will have to use a new Renault chassis for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the weekend, following a precautionary one used in Australia two weeks ago.

Ricciardo drove his debut race for Renault at his home-race in Melbourne, but the Aussie suffered a nightmare first race, losing his front wing from the start after beinf forced wide of the track.

The former Red Bull man continued after pitting straight away, but it eventually took its toll, and Ricciardo had to retire after 28 laps as a precaution.

Renault are trying to ensure there is no damage from the incident being carried over to Bahrain this weekend, so they have chosen to give its driver a new chassis, with the old one being kept as a spare.

Ricciardo's recent record over the past two seasons have seen him being forced to retire multiple times - usually down to engine reliability issues from Renault.

His team-mate showed some decent pace for Renault, with Nico Hulkenberg finishing in P8 at Albert Park, but boss Cyril Abiteboul conceded that it wasn't the pace they were expecting from its brand new car.