Mercedes has "a few balls in the air" as it balances precarious PU situation
Mercedes has "a few balls in the air" as it balances precarious PU situation
Toto Wolff has revealed Mercedes currently has "a few balls in the air" as it balances a tricky situation regarding its power units.
Lewis Hamilton is down to his final two systems for the year which he has conceded are being nursed at present in a bid to make it through to the end of the F1 season without taking a costly grid penalty.
Team-mate Valtteri Bottas has now taken five power units this season, including two in the last two races in Italy and Russia, with the one used in Monza "gone" according to the Finn, although the team has insisted it is being assessed.
Wolff knows Mercedes face a thorny dilemma regarding future changes, notably whether Hamilton's W12 will require a new PU and with it penalties that would impact his title challenge.
Explaining Bottas' switch in Russia and the plans for the rest of the season, Wolff said: "We haven't only made a precautionary engine change because we felt we want to stockpile.
"But because we want to understand the engine's performance and that has given us some question marks.
"At the moment we take one race weekend at a time and reassess the performance of the power units and then take decisions. We haven't decided which engines will go back into the pool."
The issues affecting Mercedes this season have not only been confined to the works teams but also partners Aston Martin and Williams, and to a lesser extent, McLaren.
With power units due to be homologated from next season for a period of four to five years, Wolff concedes the remainder of the season is vital to understand the system and ensure its performance is optimal going forward.
"That's why we have a few balls in the air," said Wolff. "You need to have the right balance between making sure you really sort out all the gremlins that you have with a power unit, not only for this year but also next year's power unit.
"Definitely we are in a phase of assessment on how to continue this season in terms of power units."
Wolff has said it is "a possibility" a PU change in Hamilton's car could take place this weekend in Turkey, although any firm call has not been made.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 legend OFFENDED by F1's rejection of Andretti's bid
- 53 minutes ago
F1 News Today: Horner and Red Bull saga to reignite as Perez makes 'game over' admission
- 1 hour ago
F1 boss holds talks with Prime Minister about potential new race
- 1 hour ago
Big name driver 'very angry internally' after controversial battle
- 2 hours ago
Horner Red Bull saga set to reignite with FIA 'evidence' hearing
- 3 hours ago
F1 set for talks over RADICAL change to points rules
- Today 08:27
Related news
Marko reveals Vettel requirements for stunning F1 comeback
Fierce Hamilton F1 rival raises timing issue for Ferrari move
Wolff admits CHANGE of plan over Hamilton F1 replacement
Wolff reveals Mercedes UPGRADE plans for Miami GP
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860