Ricciardo and Ocon to test 2018 Renault at the Red Bull Ring ahead of season opener

Renault are aiming to hit the ground running when the season kicks off with the Austrian Grand Prix in July, after they announced they will run a test at the race's venue, the Red Bull Ring, next week.

Both Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon will get behind the wheel of their 2018-spec car, with Ricciardo jumping into the R.S.18 – which took fourth in the championship that season – on June 16, before Ocon takes over the following day. The regulations prevent the teams from running any newer machinery outside of officially sanctioned test or filming days.

Mercedes have already run their 2018 car with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas both driving it at Silverstone earlier this week, as they tried to shake off any rustiness before the season starts next month.

READ MORE: ‘I'm ready!’ – Hamilton says he’s raring to go after Silverstone test run ahead of new season

Charles Leclerc has also been busy karting in Italy as he prepares to take to the track for a similar test in an older-spec Ferrari F1 car ahead of the season opener on July 3-5.

And AlphaTauri will have a pre-season day at Imola on June 24, with both drivers in their 2020 AT01, while Racing Point will use one of their allocated filming days to run their 2020 challenger, the RP20, at Silverstone next week, as the teams continue to ramp up their preparations for the return to racing on the first weekend in July.

READ MORE: Ross Brawn gives an update on the 2020 F1 calendar, racing at new tracks and using different layouts on old ones