Mercedes upgrades not to blame for double DNF

A disaster Sunday after a perfect Saturday for Mercedes was not what they were looking for from the Austrian Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas suffered a gearbox issue and then, eight laps from the end, Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire with a power issue.

Hamilton was leapfrogged in the drivers’ standings by rival Sebastian Vettel, who came third, and the team was overtaken by Ferrari in the constructors’ standings after their double-podium finish.

It was Mercedes first double DNF since the first lap crash between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, and only their third overall since their return to the sport in 2010.

It had been suggested that Mercedes’ issues could be related to their new upgrades to their power unit, but Mercedes technical boss James Allison has denied those rumours.

“[They were] entirely separate failures and neither of them related to the introduction of the new power unit,” Allison said.

There could also be potential for grid penalties in Silverstone if Mercedes have to take too many new parts, with the allowance of engine parts lower than in previous seasons. Allison could not be sure if Mercedes would be subject to penalties but is positive that the team will avoid them.

He said: “We hope not because we think both of the failures that we had were confined to the items that failed.

“We think we will be in good shape for Silverstone.”