Mercedes has finally made the decision to fit a fourth power unit to Lewis Hamilton’s car for this weekend’s race at Monza due to damage to his third engine following his accident with Fernando Alonso on the first lap at Spa. Francorchamps.
That power unit, which withstood a 45G impact and loss of some fluids, was taken back to the Mercedes factory in Brixworth for further evaluation to determine if it could once again be made available to the British driver.
The prognosis does not seem to have been positive and that has led the team, which does not feel comfortable with doubts, to fit a new power unit to the Hamilton engine group.
In this way, the seven-time world champion will mount the fourth power unit of the year this weekend, which will inevitably mean a penalty that will see him start from the back of the starting grid.
Formula 1 drivers have a clear limitation on the powertrain components they can use in a single season, with a maximum of three in 2022, and the Briton seemed to be in a comfortable position before the incident at Spa.
However, losing that power unit has left Mercedes out of options, and Monza is at least a good track to take a grid penalty due to the overtaking opportunities it offers compared to other circuits on the calendar.
It is understood that the team is still assessing whether they can salvage some elements of Hamilton’s third power unit ahead of the next few races.
If they do succeed, then some elements could be fitted to the Briton’s car for Friday free practice until the end of the season, helping to limit the mileage of the remaining race-spec power units.
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