“He Might Just Take a New Engine There”: Where Could Lewis Hamilton opt to Take a Grid Penalty?

Max Verstappen had to endure a grid penalty when he opted for a new power unit ahead of the Russian Grand prix and start the race from the last spot, after a heavy crash at Silverstone earlier. Now it seems likely that the seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton will have to take a new engine as well before the season ends. 

This thought has been sprung by mixed signals coming from the Mercedes pit box; sometimes team principal Toto Wolff states that Lewis Hamilton probably needs a new engine, other times it might not be necessary after all. 

Where Could Lewis Hamilton Take a Risk? 

The scenario is also being discussed by analysts at Formula 1 Café. Will Mercedes perform an engine change in the upcoming races? “Bottas will throw in three or so,” it sounds laughingly. 

“When is Lewis’ turn with his new engine? Are they going to swap it in Turkey?”, says pit reporter Jack Plooij. The chances are considerable that Mercedes are not prepared to take the risk with their current engine pool. “It’s almost becoming a kind of reliability championship”, said Robert Doornbos. 

Presenter Rob Kamphues added, “Isn’t it true that after four races the Mercedes engine loses power in a massive way, and that’s the reason why Bottas took an extra engine?”  

According to Doornbos, however, Mercedes is not the only team with that problem. “They all have that to some extent. If you do seven or eight weekends with an engine you can’t keep going at full speed,” Doornbos concluded.

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