Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner says Daniel Ricciardo frustrated

Following qualifying at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ricciardo bemoaned the updates from Red Bull, stating that "I don't think we really know what we need right now or where to find it".

After finishing 13th a year on from winning the race, the 25-year-old suggested he had been "going round and round banging my head against a wall".

AUTOSPORT understands Ricciardo will have a new chassis for the next grand prix in Austria, although with the Red Bull Ring another power circuit Renault could again struggle.

Team principal Christian Horner said he understood Ricciardo's position.

"There was a bit of frustration in his comments," he said.

"He wasn't happy with his performance, he had been outqualified by his team-mate, and his expectations - particularly after last year - were high.

"We are making progress with the chassis. We have brought development and improvements to the chassis, really since Malaysia at each grand prix, and we have a lot more in the pipeline throughout the year.

"We still have a weakness in the slow-speed corners compared to the characteristics of last year's car, and the nose regulation changes are what affected us in that area.

"But the guys are getting a good grip on that now, a good handle, and over the next few races we should see further steps.

"The good thing with the chassis is you can update the car and bring more performance to it, whereas with the engine, obviously there is a longer lead time."

Red Bull's Montreal problems were compounded by the fact the track's demands on power, leaving Renault at a disadvantage.

Horner said the French manufacturer is in the middle of a crucial two-week period of testing that could have a major impact on future performance.

"There are some important tests going on in Viry, on the dyno, and they will have a significant impact for next year," he said.

"Ferrari has done a super job, with time, effort and resource in closing the gap, so they have demonstrated it is possible.

"I take heart from that and just hope Renault can make the same commitment to bridge that gap."