(Motorsport news) With only six races to go, Max Verstappen is currently leading the Drivers Championship after finishing second at the Turkish Grand Prix while Hamilton finished in fifth position. The British racing driver incurred a grid penalty after a fourth Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) change with the limit being three, ultimately resulting in a less than ideal finish at Istanbul Park. With the United States GP around the corner, it may come as a surprise that Team Principal Toto Wolff has not ruled out the possibility of a fifth engine change already to ensure reliability.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Wolff said “We had to do it, we saw some data on the Internal Combustion unit that didn't look very promising and a DNF is a total killer for the championship. We've seen over the course of the season that we've had some little gremlins that we weren't completely sure where they came from and how much performance they could potentially cost, so we'd rather have a new engine in the pool and that we understand that can possibly go longer.”
Mercedes have been by far the most reliable constructors in the hybrid era and Toto Wolff has admitted that due to some ‘unusual sounds’ coming from Hamilton’s engine, the team has been working towards preventing such issues in the future. "I think we understand much better now where the root cause lies and it's something that can happen from time to time if you just have a material issue, a batch problem and these are the things you need to consider," explained Wolff.
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas is already on his fifth power unit and Toto Wolff has not ruled out the possibility of Hamilton going the same way if there is risk involved in using the fourth ICE component. "It [fourth ICE] can last until the end of the season but there could be a moment where we say is it worth taking a fresh one because the other one is still at risk," said Wolff.
Mercedes’ cautious approach in ensuring the car remains reliable for the remainder of the season might be a controversial strategy, especially considering that a grid penalty at this stage of the season might give Verstappen and Red Bull the advantage they need to get out of Mercedes’ sights. Principal of Red Bull Racing Christian Horner has made no such claims and it’s likely that Verstappen will finish the season with the existing set up irrespective of reliability concerns than risk a penalty.
The action is set to resume at the United States GP on Monday, 25th October at 12:30 am IST.
