Customer Mercedes teams get an engine boost

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Mercedes has delivered an upgraded engine to its customer teams in Canada, Force India and Williams.

The new-spec unit had already been introduced in Spain and used exclusively by works driver Lewis Hamilton while Valtteri Bottas recieved the upgrade in Monaco.

"I think it’s more to do with reliability than outright performance," said Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer.

"The outright performance stuff comes from the fact that you can run it for longer in a more performant mode. But if you’re asking about laptime, it’s nearly the same.

"We can run some of the more performance modes in the race longer, so the race time is shorter – but over a lap, it’s the same."

Both Force India and Williams now have an allocation of three engines to cover 14 races, a status which means the teams won't need for each engine to cover five races, theoretically allowing drivers to push the boundaries of their unit.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.