Renault has opted to upgrade Nico Hulkenberg's R.S.19 to its latest B-spec engine, a change that will unfortunately equate to a five-spot grid penalty for the German.
Renault supplied its new unit to Daniel Ricciardo in France because the change was free of any penalties for the Aussie.
Hulkenberg's grid demotion in Austria is inevitable however as reliability issues earlier this season had already boosted his ICE count to four elements.
Hulkenberg concluded his day of running on Friday well out of the top-ten, puzzled by his car's lack of pace.
"The car lacked pace and there’s a bit of a question mark as to why," said the German.
"While we’re slow on the timesheets, I didn’t feel totally comfortable at the wheel. We need to investigate what’s gone on as it seems a bit odd today.
"Conditions were tough, especially in the afternoon with high track temperatures and wind in places. A difficult day for us, but we’ll work hard tonight to find some solutions for tomorrow."
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