Mercedes needs extra power: "Probably the perfect place to do it"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
At the start of the first free practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix, it was announced that Lewis Hamilton will be getting a new combustion engine, which will put him five places back at the start. According to Johnny Herbert, Mercedes is making a logical choice here, with a view to sprint qualifying.
"It's probably the perfect place to do it. You have the sprint race, where you can score some good points for the championship," the former Formula One driver told Sky Sports. "And on Sunday there is still the possibility to take a lot of points."
Mercedes needs extra power at start
"You need that power from turn twelve to turn one, a fresh engine gives you that little bit extra", Herbert continues. "They are a bit secretive about it. It's not that they have a problem with the engine from Mexico, but they think they can score more points here with a fresh engine."
Mercedes hopes the engine change will provide Hamilton with enough power to finish the season. However, given the recent reliability issues the team appears to be having, it remains to be seen whether that will be possible without sacrificing some power.