More to Hamilton's new engine: 'It will give him an extra 15 horsepower'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton started the weekend in Brazil with his fifth internal combustion engine, which earned him a grid penalty of five places in the race. Despite the grid penalty and disqualification, the Brit had a crazy weekend and walked away with victory. There seems to be something special going on with his new engine.
According to the rules, teams are allowed to make changes to the engine as long as it improves reliability and not the performance advantage. Mercedes seems to have taken advantage of this to get the most out of the engine for the final few races in the Middle East.
The figures from the sprint race are striking. Hamilton recorded a top speed of no less than 339 km/h, while his teammate Valtteri Bottas only managed 303.2 km/h. Max Verstappen recorded a speed of 317.3 km/h. So it seems that Hamilton's engine delivers quite some extra speed.
Explanation extra power Hamilton
The Italian branch of Motorsport.com reports that Hywel Thomas, Mercedes' chief engineer, has prepared an engine for Hamilton that has a lifespan of only 2,500 kilometres. Normally, an F1 driver's standard engine has a lifespan of 7,000 kilometres. As a result, the Briton's new engine can only last four races, just enough for the final stages of the championship.
Because Mercedes is not allowed to change the characteristics of the approved engine parts, they have increased the turbo of the engine, but also the pressure in the combustion chamber. This combination would be worth more than fifteen horsepower in overtaking and the quest for pole position. The Italian site would not be surprised if Red Bull opted for a new engine in Qatar as well, in order to avoid appearing in the season finale with a deflated power unit.