Renault uses tokens for Red Bull engine upgrade ahead of United States Grand Prix

Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo will have upgrades to their ICEs at the US GP

French automakers Renault, who have 12 tokens remaining for development until the end of the racing season, have used 11 of these for upgrades that will be made available to Red Bull ahead of the United States Grand Prix this weekend, reports autosport.com

Both team and manufacturer were unsure if the new spec engine would pass reliability tests ahead of the race, but engineers have given it the all-clear. However, both Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat will incur grid penalties if the new engine is used, so Red Bull and Renault will have to consult to decide the merits of using it at the US GP.

The upgrades to the engine focus largely on the ICE or Internal Combustion Engine, with Renault looking to improve the power and efficiency of the unit.

Red Bull are currently 4th in the drivers’ championships behind Williams, with some strong performances from both Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat, who scored his first ever podium in Formula One this year. The relationship between manufacturer and team has been famously fraught this year, with motorsport chief Helmut Marko, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and principal Christian Horner all publicly voicing their disapproval.

The pair will end their relationship at the end of this year, having announced the split last month. Also last month, Renault announced signing a letter of intent to take over Lotus, which would see the Renault works team return to F1. The team have already confirmed Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado will be driving for them but are yet to announce a second name.

Team Red Bull have since also approached both Mercedes and Ferrari for engines for the 2016 season, but were rejected by Toto Wolff and Maurizio Arrivabene in turn. Without Renault, they are left without an engine for next season, and bosses have said if they do not find a suitable one, the team will quit the sport.