Ricciardo set for Brazil engine penalty

Daniel Ricciardo has had plenty of bad luck this year and that seems set to continue into this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, after his Red Bull team were forced to change an engine component that triggers a grid penalty…

The Australian has had a miserable series of results of late, retiring from the last two races because of mechanical failures, and now faces a long afternoon on Sunday at Interlagos.

Ahead of first practice, the FIA confirmed Ricciardo, who was on pole last time out in Mexico, will run a fresh turbocharger in Brazil. That’s his sixth of the season – only Toro Rosso duo Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly have run more in 2018 – and exceeds his allocation.

As a result, he receives a five-place grid penalty for the change, dropping him down the pack for the start of Sunday's race.

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner revealed the turbo was damaged when a marshal sprayed the fire extinguisher on the rear of Ricciardo’s Red Bull following his retirement in Mexico.

“You can’t really blame them as the car was obviously smoking but they shot foam up the exhaust and as it solidifies in the turbo, it terminated it,” Horner told Sky Sports. “He’ll take a five-place penalty but hopefully on a track like this it is not actually that big of a penalty.”