With very little fuss Mercedes are unleashing Phase 2 of their 2019 power unit at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix for championship leader Lewis Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas as well as customer teams Williams and Racing Point.
The team wrote on Twitter: “We can confirm the introduction of the new Phase 2 @MercedesBenz Power Unit for the #CanadianGP to be run by all Mercedes-powered cars this weekend.”
This will good news as Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a power-friendly place where Ferrari are expected to be strong but clearly, Mercedes have not been resting on their laurels.
Hamilton told reporters in Montreal today, “On the engine side, the guys back at Brixworth have been working incredibly hard. It has not been the easiest beginning of the year in terms of preparing an engine.”
“While it’s an evolution of previous years, each time you are always trying to push the envelope. There are so many people working so hard to improve it. As I have said, it’s not been the smoothest ride, but we have had great reliability with the first engine. It is always great when you have a new engine, being it’s fresh.”
“This is a power circuit, so it’s come at the perfect time. If you look at previous years, this is always the race where we bring the second engine. It is phase two, so it will have all new mods, slight improvements everywhere.”
“It’s not like at the beginning of the hybrid era where you make massive strides forwards or even last year. It is small steps. The biggest difference is that it’s brand new, it’s fresh.”
“The old engine has done six races, it will have degradation etc. The guys have worked so hard, it’s now small percentages, it’s very much appreciated,” added Hamilton who will be looking for his seventh win at the venue.
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