Mercedes will be availing its first MGU-K replacement fro Lewis Hamilton. He is running for seventh Formula 1 World Championship Title this year along with Mercedes.
The team has decided to change the unit for British Grand Prix, which is home ground for the champion. The decision is being take to cater reliability issues.
Mercedes had scheduled new spec MGU-K for second race at Siver-Stone. The track management will be celebrating 70th anniversary on the next weekend while managing fifth race of this year.
Potential reliability issues, faced by the teams, pushed Mercedes to introduce new unit a little early.
Specifically at Hungarian Grand Prix, teams observed potential issues in the unit. Therefore, Hamilton will be starting this weekend with a new MGU-K.
Other drivers, which are using Mercedes system, would be benefiting from a replacement as per schedule. Racing Point and Williams along with Valterri Bottas will have a new unit on 70th anniversary race.
FIA rules allow only three replacement without penalty for the drivers in a single season. However, uncertainty over the season has complicated the decision.
Mercedes on MGU-K Replacement
Mercedes spokesman said: “It’s a precautionary change one race earlier than planned due to some data anomalies after Hungary. It’s an updated spec of MGU-K for reliability reasons, which will be on all cars from next weekend.”
James Allison, Mercedes Technical Chief, asserted that team can’t risk its seventh consecutive championship. Therefore, reliability issues are being fixed while minimizing the risk.
“I think anyone who had sat with us through the first weekend of the year wouldn’t have entertained the idea of a Mercedes procession at that stage,” he said.
“They would have seen us all desperately worried about the car, and its ability to finish a single race.
“Every car on the grid has a sword of Damocles hanging over it pretty much every lap. Because they are all experimental vehicles with any number of ways that they can catch you out. Or actually, you disappoint yourself for not having seen it coming.
“We’re only too well aware of the billion frailties that are there, even in a product that is pretty strong, like our car and driver combo that we’ve got this year.”
