Hamilton 'grateful' to make it to the end following engine worries

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Lewis Hamilton was relieved to see the end of the Canadian Grand Prix, after fearing his demise on every lap following issues with his Mercedes power unit.

The German manufacturer's drivers were scheduled to race a new-spec engine in Canada but technical problems delayed the unit's introduction.

Hamilton thus had to make do in Canada with an engine used in the six previous races. However, fears of a failure crept in early on in Sunday's race when the reigning world champion radioed in to signal persistent power drop outs.

Fortunately, it all held together until the end, much to the Briton's comfort even if he relinquished the lead in the world championship to arch-rival Sebastian Vettel.

"I just thought it was going to fail and every single lap I was just on the edge waiting for that power to drop away," explained the happy and relieved driver.

"It kept dropping and coming back and dropping and I was like ‘jeez’. It was the seventh race on the engine so it’s seen its life. I could have lost a lot more today."

Vettel wins in Canada to wipe out Hamilton's title lead

The prospect of an engine failure prompted the Briton to criticize Formula 1's current three-engine limit that came into force at the start of the 2018 season, insisting the restriction has a bearing on the sport's spectacle.

"I hope they don’t go to two engines next year because it’s just going to get ridiculous,” he said.

"It was definitely a bit more fun when you had more engines I would say.

"The fact that a season could sway through reliability, I don’t think anyone wants to say that. I don’t think anyone wants to be cheated of that. You want actual true performance," he added.

"The sport is going in the wrong direction in my opinion. I have so many different opinions about it.

"They need to change this fricking engines, they say they want to save costs and then they spend more to produce it."

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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.