“For me the chassis is a big lump of carbon that we attach the suspension to, attach an engine to, and a gearbox to,” he said. “It’s really ever so unlikely that there are performance issues with the chassis.
“However, we have a new one coming through, it makes sense at all levels to give that to Daniel, not least that Yuki is super happy and super comfortable where he is. We don’t have a preference on drivers.
“With Daniel maybe it’s good for him to just put that completely to bed, that there are any issues with the car.”
Ricciardo will be hoping this change can help him score some points in Shanghai after his crash at Suzuka.
Who last won the Chinese Grand Prix?
The last Chinese Grand Prix was back in 2019, with the 2020 race being called off due to the emerging Covid pandemic and no further editions being held since.
The winner then was none other than Lewis Hamilton, who holds the record for most wins at the Shanghai circuit with six.
Chinese Grand Prix circuit length, distance and race distance
First Grand Prix: 2004
Number of laps: 56
Circuit length: 5.541km
Race distance: 305.066km
Race lap record: 1min32.238sec ( Michael Schumacher, 2004)
How to watch the Chinese Grand Prix on television and on streaming
Like usual, Sky Sports F1 will be showing full coverage of the racing weekend.
If you don’t have access to a full sky subscription, you can alternatively access the races on Now TV on a six-month minimum subscription, coming in at £26 a month.
For viewing on the go, fans can stream the race on platforms such as Sky GO and NOW.
Those outside of the UK can watch the race on F1’s own subscription service F1TV, which is available worldwide and is complete with special features such as pre and post race shows and onboard camera footage.
For extended highlights, Channel 4 broadcasts their qualifying program on Saturday and their race program on Sunday.