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Mercedes' trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin believes Interlagos was the right circuit to change Lewis Hamilton’s engine. Reflecting on the weekend, he explained the reasons behind the decision and the importance of changing it during a sprint weekend.
Speaking on F1’s official podcast F1 Nation, Andrew Shovlin said:
“There wasn’t a technical reason to change. We didn’t think we were at a risk of failing and we don’t think that we were at a risk of failing. Although these power units are running awfully hard and you can never take reliability for granted. But there is an attraction to taking a penalty at the sprint race.”
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The Mercedes engineer explained that there was a significant performance advantage behind an engine change at the Brazil Grand Prix due to it being a sprint weekend. According to Shovlin, the new engine helped Lewis Hamilton surge through the pack in the sprint race and further capitalize with a victory in the main race to score some vital points.
Lewis Hamilton staring at reduced performance over next three races
Lewis Hamilton's fifth-placed finish in the sprint race after starting 20th was good enough to place him in the 10th starting position for the main race. Mercedes had obviously not factored into their plans the possibility of getting stripped of the sprint race pole, but their sheer pace advantage helped Hamilton to victory in the main race.
Explaining the benefits of changing the engine for Lewis Hamilton during a sprint weekend, particularly in regards to the Interlagos circuit, Shovlin said:
“Because if you can win on a Saturday, then its more points you can score. And you can lessen the deficit. This is also a track that we hoped we could overtake at and recover positions, and we proved that in the last two days. And also, you want to get these things in the pool, because by the time you get to Abu Dhabi, you’re not going to get the advantage of it for more than a single race.”
Winning the Brazil Grand Prix was critical for Lewis Hamilton, but the advantage of their new engine stands to be reduced by the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend, possibly bringing them back down on par with Red Bull Racing.
