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."
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted that the squad has no regrets about its…
On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he…
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…
Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…
Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…
Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…