Lewis Hamilton will be given a five-place grid penalty at Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix for a gearbox change.
The best on the planet has had a troublesome begin to the season and trails Mercedes colleague Nico Rosberg by 17 focuses in the title after two races.
Mercedes said the gearbox had supported harm amid the last race in Bahrain.
“I love racing and it’s a race this weekend, rather than be at the front and have less of a race,” Briton Hamilton said.
“When you hear that you’re arriving with a penalty already, of course, that changes the approach to the weekend, that changes the mindset. For me, a challenge is an opportunity to rise, so I’m really excited about the opportunity from where I’m going to start.”
F1 rules say that drivers must utilize a solitary gearbox for six back to back races.
Mercedes changed the gearbox as opposed to hazard a retirement as Shanghai “was the best place to make the change and take the penalty”.
This is on account of the track, which has the longest straight on the logbook, offers the best surpassing chances of the following four races.
“It is going to be an easy weekend for Nico, for sure. Most likely it will be an easier weekend for him,” added Hamilton.
“But it doesn’t mean I can’t give him a good run for his money from wherever I start. I’ll be pushing as hard as I can.
“It doesn’t mean I can’t win the race, which is my thought process, rather than damage limitation.”
Rosberg, however, is underestimating nothing.
“Hamilton starting sixth is still going to challenge for the win,” he said. “I am still fully focused.
“It is not only him, Ferrari have not shown at all what they can do yet because they have had such a messy two races. It couldn’t have gone any worse for them really.”
Hamilton, 31, has been on shaft position at both races so far in Australia and Bahrain, however, has made moderately poor begins which cost him positions on the main lap. German Rosberg went ahead to win both races.
In Melbourne, Hamilton recouped to complete the second. In Bahrain, he crashed into Williams’ Valtteri Bottas at the principal corner and battled back to third.
