Toto Wolff has revealed that Lewis Hamilton may have to take an engine penalty again, saying the current power unit is not 100% reliable.
Hamilton took a 10-place penalty for taking a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) at the Turkish GP. He started the race in P11, and finished an impressive fifth thanks to his blistering pace.
However, Mercedes conceded that they were worried about the engine’s life, and stated that they had heard “unusual noises” coming from it. The mileage of the engines have increased, subsequently increasing the chances of failure.
With the two championships still very much up for grabs, the team cannot afford to take any risks. Therefore, Wolff revealed that Hamilton may have to take an engine penalty again.
When asked if Hamilton could take another engine in the six races to come, Wolff said, “Yes,” as quoted by insideracing.com.
“But there could be a moment when you say ‘is it worth taking a fresh one because the other one is still at risk’, so this is something that will be really a work in progress.
“I would very much hope not, but there are six tough races in front of us. Let’s see how the points pan out and I would never say no. But normally, four engines look quite sufficient.
“It’s going to be very tight until the end. DNFs are going to make a big difference, not three or four or five-point swings.
“The whole season swings back and forth, we make mistakes together, we win together. We have had much bigger swings in the past with lost opportunities,” he concluded.
All to play for
The dilemma staring Mercedes in the face right now could be a monumental one. The decision they make will be key to how the rest of the season goes.
Getting this decision right would guarantee a faster car and perhaps the championships available, failing which they will have to hope for a monumental collapse on their rivals’ side.
Read more: Wolff issues firm response to angry Hamilton – “He didn’t see how much he was dropping off!”