Verstappen joins Ricciardo in taking Renault's Spec C
Max Verstappen has joined teammate Daniel Ricciardo in fitting the new Renault Spec C engine at Monza, as Red Bull said the upgrade "delivered what was predicted".

Ricciardo took a complete set of new power unit elements on Friday, earning himself a spot on the back row.
After a promising initial outing, the team has now followed up on its plan to give Max Verstappen a new V6 on Saturday. It’s only the third of the year for the Dutchman, so he doesn’t face a penalty.
It’s understood that on the Renault dyno the Spec C performed better with RBR’s ExxonMobil fuel than it did with the works team’s own.
The Enstone outfit has elected not to use it because of reliability concerns, and the need to focus on its quest for fourth place in the world championship.
“It seems to have delivered what was predicted, so that’s encouraging,” Horner told Motorsport.com.
“Hopefully it’ll run cleanly for the rest of the weekend. It doesn’t appear to be an issue on our fuel, where I think it may be on Renault’s fuel.
"Obviously if there’s any potential advantage, you’ve got to go for it.”
Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul has stressed that there are reliability risks associated with the new spec, and has expressed concerns about a failure leading to more criticism from the Red Bull management.
Horner said: “If there’s any performance on the table, of course we’re going to go for it, taking into account the risks that are associated with it.”
Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko also downplayed such concerns.
“They didn’t tell us about the risk with Spec B, and we had a risk!” he told Motorsport.com. “It’s an improvement. It looks good so far.”
Horner confirmed that both Ricciardo and Verstappen will face further penalties in 2018.
“For sure both of them have got at least one further grid drop before the end of the year,” he stated.
Along with Verstappen, the other new V6 deployed this morning was the Ferrari in Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber, following his crash yesterday.
It’s the fourth of the season, so he has earned a 10-place grid penalty.

Marcus Ericsson, Sauber C37
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images

Previous article
Camilleri's first appearance hints at new Ferrari direction
Next article
McLaren interested in Perez reunion for 2019

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Italian GP |
Drivers | Max Verstappen , Marcus Ericsson |
Teams | Red Bull Racing , Sauber |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Verstappen joins Ricciardo in taking Renault's Spec C
Trending
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end