Mercedes will bring an engine upgrade to this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix following a spate of reliability issues in testing.
While reporting a significant improvement in power compared to 2019, stoppages were the Achilles heel of the Brackley-based team in Barcelona as they used a total of three engines across the six days.
Likewise, Williams also needed three units with issues ranging from the MGU-K, the oil system and electronics, although Mercedes’ other customer, Racing Point, ran trouble-free.
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A fix was reportedly in place in time for the original Formula 1 season opener in Australia, that of course didn’t take place, but the coronavirus lockdown has given the team at Brixworth more time to find a lasting solution.
And Mercedes will be praying it has worked because this spec engine being used in Austria is reportedly the only upgrade allowed this season under regulation changes aimed at saving costs for all engine suppliers.
Honda and Renault are also bringing their own updates to the Red Bull Ring, with the Japanese manufacturer having been slightly advantaged by having more time to work before the factory shutdown was implemented.
There is uncertainty over Ferrari though, who have an upgrade in the pipeline but may not be allowed to use it if it’s not used in Austria.