Hamilton can re-use China engine

Lewis Hamilton had a terrible start to his Chinese Grand Prix race weekend.

A replacement gearbox was required which meant that he was set to receive a five-place grid penalty.

A MGU-H problem then meant a replacement engine was used, resulting in a further penalty which saw him start the race from last on the grid.

Thankfully for the three-time Formula One champion the engine has been salvaged and can be re-used if required. Something that should hopefully mean he will not acquire further penalties later on in the season.

‘The power unit in question arrived back at Brixworth in the early hours of Thursday morning of the week following the race and investigation into the failure has been on-going every minute since its return to the factory. a statement from Mercedes published by motorsport.com read.

‘The MGU-H has been stripped and the issue is suspected to be associated with the insulation. The turbocharger will be replaced in addition to the oil pumps, after debris was found in the oil system.

‘With the repairs completed, this power unit will remain in the driver pool and travel to Sochi as a spare.’