Mercedes to bring new spec engine to Melbourne
Mercedes has confirmed it will be bringing a new specification of its 2017 power unit to the Australian Grand Prix for all its teams despite reported reliability concerns.
Rumours surfaced during testing, that Mercedes would delay its new engine to the start of the European season in May, due to concerns over the crankshaft.
However, the manufacturer is set to go ahead with its original plans and bring the newly improved power unit to Melbourne for the works team and its’ customers Force India and Williams.
Furthermore, there were reports that Mercedes were running their 2017 power unit in a more conservative mode compared to their rival Ferrari during testing, in order to test experimental parts to gain an advantage ahead of the new season.
Major engine upgrades are now allowed throughout the season more frequently, due to the scrapping of the token system, though teams are limited to four engines or they will incur a grid penalty if they exceed the limit.
They are also banned for stockpiling engines in a similar fashion to how Lewis Hamilton managed to at last year’s Belgium Grand Prix.
It also means a near-complete overhaul of a power unit could be made if there were major reliability issues or a major advantage to be gained, however with Mercedes’ track record, it’s unlikely that this will be necessary.