Can this change at RB turn Ricciardo's season around?

Daniel Ricciardo is due to be given a new RB chassis for the next round of the F1 season, at the Shanghai International Circuit.

For RB, the hope is that by making the change, it can better help Ricciardo support Yuki Tsunoda in the fight for sixth place in the constructors’ championship.

This term, the Japanese driver has scored all seven of RB’s points, comfortably beating his team-mate in the process.

At Suzuka, Tsunoda was able to pick up his most recent point whilst Ricciardo was forced into retirement on lap one, following an incident with Williams’ Alex Albon.

Despite a more promising qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix, RB will be giving Ricciardo a new chassis for the next race – in China – to help remedy his poor form.

“I’m still curious, for sure,” the 34-year-old said to media, including RacingNews365, when asked if it would put to bed the suggestion that there is an issue with his current chassis.

“Because at least [it will give me] peace of mind. I’ll be like ‘alright’.”

'Through past experience'

This season, Ricciardo has gone from wanting to challenge Sergio Perez for the second Red Bull seat to whether he will even be able to retain his drive at RB being one of the major talking points of the season.

To make matters worse, Liam Lawson is waiting in the wings, with many suggesting a change will be made mid-season if the Australian cannot improve.

The eight-time race winner has been in a similar situation before, something he is drawing upon amid his current struggles.

“Just through past experience – like when I won at Monza [in 2021], they [McLaren] wanted to retire that chassis, so I had a different one for Russia. And I was nowhere in Russia, I remember," he added.

“After that I said, ‘guys, I don’t want this chassis, give me the other one back’. Then maybe the next race was Austin, and we were back on it again.

“So yeah, there has been some times where I have been certainly sceptical about some chassis for whatever reason not performing well. So yeah, just want to make sure.”