Doornbos: 'Hamilton's Mercedes engine loses 20bhp per race'

Power of Mercedes engine will decrease

The Brazilian Grand Prix seemed to be a complete disaster for Hamilton. Not only did he get a five-place grid penalty because of a new engine, but he was also disqualified and had to start the sprint race from the back. Hamilton's speed was unmatched and he won the race.

"Mercedes chooses performance over reliability", analyses Robert Doornbos in Top Gear Magazine. "That means they get a lot of power out of the engine in the first and second weekend it is used. After that, the power just drops off." The engine in Brazil was his fifth for Hamilton. His teammate Valtteri Bottas, meanwhile, had already used six engines.

A new engine for Hamilton every weekend

How much power the engines lose each weekend Doornbos does not know exactly, but that it is decreasing rapidly is a fact according to the analyst. "Per weekend
they lose about twenty horsepower because of the wear and tear on the internal combustion engine. So the power goes down quickly, but on the other hand, the first weekend is insanely good. So in principle Mercedes could put a new engine in the back of Hamilton's car every weekend now."

Hamilton would get a grid penalty of five places each time but would have such a strong car every weekend. However, that also takes risks. "That puts you in the heavy traffic of the midfield and you have to keep your car in one piece. In the middle of the pack, you have more risk than if you start first or second."