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Mercedes worried about engine: 'Know where our weaknesses lie'

Mercedes worried about engine: 'Know where our weaknesses lie'

12-10-2021 06:27 Last update: 09:06
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GPblog.com

Lewis Hamilton has used a new internal combustion engine (ICE) in Turkey, but concerns at Mercedes have not yet subsided. The cause of the engine problems has still not been discovered and that is especially a problem heading into 2022.

Pressure on Mercedes

Mercedes had yet to use a new engine and for that, they had to incur a grid penalty with Hamilton. The engines of Mercedes are not as reliable as in the past and the team hears 'strange noises' from time to time. The cause of this problem has still not been determined and that could be a problem.

''The limits are being pushed and we have seen examples of strange noises in the internal combustion engine, at the time we didn't really have an explanation for that and that has caused us problems in the past. We've had engines that simply froze up, now it's more about limiting the problems. At this stage it's not possible to change parts, so you can't tackle it that way,'' says Toto Wolff according to Motorsport.com.

Problems with Hamilton's engine

The problems are now solved with a new engine, but the problem has not gone away. Those problems arise when the engine has done more miles. Prior to the 2022 season, however, only one update may be done and that engine will then last at least until the 2025 season.

''It has always been very important to find the right balance between a fast engine and one that is reliable, it will continue to be so in the future. We won't go into next season with a disadvantage, we know where our weaknesses lie. Now we have to make sure we find solutions to the problems,'' concludes the Mercedes team boss, who does not rule out using Hamilton's old engine.