Wolff doesn't rule out new grid penalty for Hamilton: 'Could be worth it'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Mercedes have been struggling with engine reliability issues more often than ever this season. In Turkey, Lewis Hamilton was given a ten-place grid penalty when he started using his fourth internal combustion engine and it may not stop there.
Killer for the Championship
In any case, replacing the internal combustion engine was not out of luxury for Mercedes. "We had to do it," team boss Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "We saw some data on the combustion engine that didn't look promising and a failure is a total killer for the championship."
According to Wolff, the team has had several "gremlins" in the engine over the course of the season. "Of those we weren't quite sure where they came from and how much performance they could potentially cost. So we'd rather have a new engine that we know could potentially last longer." With six races to go, Hamilton is six points behind Max Verstappen in the championship.
Fifth combustion engine for Hamilton?
Hamilton took his fourth combustion engine of the season in Turkey, but teammate Valtteri Bottas is already driving his fifth. That Hamilton will also be using a fifth combustion engine is not entirely out of the question, according to Wolff. "This one may last until the end of the season, but there may come a time when we say it's worth taking a new one because the other one is still in danger. We'll have to look at that in the coming races."