Formula 1 Belgian GP
Hamilton facing F1 power unit grid penalty after Spa collision
The power unit used by Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix has been returned to Mercedes' powertrains base in Brixworth for inspection following his collision with Fernando Alonso.
Adam Cooper
Edited: Aug 31, 2022, 2:01 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
If it has been damaged too much to be used again, the seven-time world champion will have to take a grid penalty in the near future.
Hamilton's W13 landed heavily after he was launched when he made contact with Alonso on the first lap. Onboard footage from Alonso and other following cars showed fluid emerging from the back of the Mercedes, while Hamilton reported that he could feel damage.
The team studied the telemetry from the car and some 38 seconds after the impact he was told by his engineer Peter Bonnington, "Back off, no full load, part throttle, part throttle."
Shortly after the impact, Bonnington urged Hamilton to park on the right side of the track. Hamilton continued slowly while looking for a place to pull up before responding to further requests to stop by switching off the power unit some 90 seconds after his hard landing.
Bonnington's urgent messages and the smoke from the car suggested that all might not be well with the V6 after running without its coolant, even for a relatively short period.
A Mercedes spokesman confirmed to Motorsport.com that the power unit has been returned to Brixworth for examination and thus a verdict on whether it can be used again, noting that the health of the V6 was "definitely a concern."
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13 crash with Fernando Alonso, Alpine A522
Hamilton had used only two V6s prior to taking his third of the year on Friday at Spa, so the example in question was almost brand new and thus expected to complete around seven race weekends - and potentially enable Hamilton to make it to the end of 2022 without further changes. Its loss from the pool will be costly.
Hamilton is also currently on the usage limit with his final MGU-K (also new in Spa), turbo, MGU-H, control electronics and energy store, and thus any further examples of those items will also trigger grid penalties.
Read Also:
- Hamilton won't speak to Alonso for Belgian GP clash after "idiot" rant
- FIA explains why Hamilton wasn't penalised for Alonso F1 clash
The team says that his earlier power units are still operational. However, they will have run a high mileage by now and typically teams save such engines for Friday practice, and Hamilton would clearly benefit from a fresh example for Monza.
Hamilton's gearbox also took a hard hit when the car landed at Spa, and the gearbox carrier was cracked.
The internals are also subject to a damage inspection and, if they are no longer usable he will have to take a third set in Zandvoort. This will not trigger a penalty.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Red Bull: Porsche 2026 F1 deal still not done
Next article Ten things we learned from the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Adam Cooper
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Apr 10, 2024
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 10, 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 10, 2024
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Latest news
Cadillac’s F1 brakes are still a problem: ‘I had to lift and coast on lap two’
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
36 min
Cadillac’s F1 brakes are still a problem: ‘I had to lift and coast on lap two’
Why Jorge Martín was not penalised for jump start in Indonesia
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Indonesian GP
1 h
Why Jorge Martín was not penalised for jump start in Indonesia
Palou pushes IndyCar’s IR-28 chassis to the limit in rugged Sebring test
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 1 h
Palou pushes IndyCar’s IR-28 chassis to the limit in rugged Sebring test
Why McLaren cannot fix its F1 car handling until 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
2 h
Why McLaren cannot fix its F1 car handling until 2027
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe