Daniel Ric♒ciardo expects to be hit with further grid penalties before the end of the 2018 Formula 1 season, despite taking on a fresh engine atꦗ the Italian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver has already exceeded his permitted quota of power unit components this season - following a number of reliability failur𓂃es earlier in the champion – and will drop down the grid at Monza this weekend in order to take on Renault’s new ‘spec C’ engine.

“It’s likel꧑y I’ll have another one [engine penalty] at some point,” Ricciardo conceded. “If we could get from Singapore through without any penalties I think that would be abov♕e target for now. So it’s likely I’ll have another one at some point.”

Ricciardo said he backed Red Bull’s decision to take a grid drop at Monza, rather than running the risk of picking up engine penalties at Singapore, with the Milton Keynes squad highlighting tꦺhe street cirꦆcuit as a standout track for a competitive result.

“It was a team choice but I didn’t disagree with it,” he added. “I would love to start towards the front one year in Monza because in the end on race day we always have a pretty good race car. It would be nice but looking at Sing♔apore that’s a place you can’t risk having a penalty with the package we h🧸ad.”

The Australian is hoping to reap the rewards of the ‘Spec C’ power un🔜it, though he admits he is keepꦡing his expectations grounded.

“I hope it’s good. I’ll try on Friday then we’ll make a de🗹cision what to expect with it,” Ricciardo said. “I always try not to expect too much, I think it’s natural over the last few ꧂years.

“I expect to see something but whether it’s one-tenth, two-tenths, three-tenths, we’ll see. Bu♐t if there’s an improvement that’s better than not. I do expect an improvement fro♔m it but I couldn’t tell you in terms of lap time from it. A few tenths would be nice.”

The Renault works team has chosen not to use the upgrade due to not being willing to taꩲke a risk on reliability given its ongoing close battle over fourth place in the constructors’ standings.

When asked if he has any concerns regard🅷ing reliability over the new u🍸pdate, Ricciardo replied: “We’ll see tomorrow. Driving it tomorrow gives us a chance to assess everything.

“But right now I’m not co🅺ncerned about it. Unܫtil I drive it and I get a feeling for it. Right now in my head it’s just going to be better.”