Nico Roseberg to race with upgraded engine in Singapore

Rosberg looks to challenge Lewis Hamilton with new engine

German driver Nico Rosberg of Mercedes AMG Petronas will be racing in Singapore with an upgraded engine. The racer, on his fourth engine in the 2015 season, will be hoping to close the gap between first-placed teammate Hamilton and himself.

Rosberg had to use an older spec engine during the Italian Grand Prix as his new engine had a leak in the cooling system. The older engine, however, choked in the closing stages of the race, costing the German a finish in the top three and a chance to catch his teammate up in the standings.

The 30-year-old will be racing in Singapore with the same engine that was removed ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The engine cost Mercedes the team all of their seven remaining upgrade tokens’ and was described as a “Wundermotor”. It proved to be a good move as reigning champion Lewis Hamilton won the race During the Italian Grand Prix, Rosberg’s engine had already struck several opponents with fear but it did not pose any threat as it was removed before the qualifications. While the engine was faulty, it could be salvaged as the power unit of the engine was undamaged.

Team boss Toto Wolff said:"It brings not so much more horsepower, but it works more efficiently. We wanted something to test in connection with a new fuel for 2016."

Rosberg, who will be looking to blaze through the Marina Bay circuit with his new and improved engine said "It turns out it (the problem) had nothing to do with the engine, it was a chassis component that we've had on the car for a long time. So with hindsight, it was perfectly OK to put the new engine in.”

The racer currently holds second place in the Formula One World Championship and will be hoping to have a smooth run this time around.

Mercedes, on the other hand, are reportedly going to start preparing similar engines for teams who are supplied by them – Williams, Lotus and Force India.

Rosberg will be cautious, however, as the German will need at least two engines to see the season through. So if the engine from the Italian Grand Prix is not cleared for the race, he will have to face a grid penalty if he uses a fifth unit.