Mercedes to run reliability-focused engine improve in Austria

Mercedes’ overall performance in pre-season testing changed into eye-watering good, but a chink of their brilliant silver armor become energy unit reliability. Unsurprisingly, the sector champions have moved to iron out that weakness, culminating in a brand new specification featuring tweaks for reliability purposes, which Mercedes and their purchaser groups will run at the season starting Austrian Grand Prix this weekend.

It comes after it becomes found out that Honda has brought a brand new specification electricity unit to Austria, offering overall performance and reliability gains, at the same time as in contrast, it is believed Ferrari has delivered the identical engine they took to Australia lower back in March. The engine spec utilized in Austria is critical due to the fact the Technical Regulations for this season dictate the specification a team races inside the commencing Grand Prix will largely be frozen for the rest of the season.

Mercedes will run the electricity unit improve in their new, black-liveried W11s

Manufacturers are restrained to one overall performance improvements to the MGU-K, energy store and control electronics, or for reliability reasons, supplying they get approval from the FIA. Having upgraded their unit over the winter – in a bid to capture the performance-setting Ferrari engine – Mercedes encountered a few problems in testing, which include an electrical problem, while their consumer Williams had a series of problems, too, which impacted their mileage.

But either facet of the necessary shutdown period, Mercedes have worked tough at their base at Brixworth to supply fixes and support the robustness of the power unit, culminating inside the creation of the new spec for defending champion Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Their clients Racing Point and Williams may also run the brand new specification strength unit at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.