Ricciardo has struggled to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda this year and has suggested that something might not be right with his package.
Racing director Alan Permane has stressed that the fresh chassis was being constructed anyway, and hasn’t been built because of any doubts over Ricciardo’s current car.
"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 any there any issues with the car.”
In the past teams have sometimes discovered that drivers who suspected an issue with a chassis were correct, although Permane believes that won’t be the case with Ricciardo's VCARB 01.
Source: Autosport