Bad news for Mercedes' rivals as Hamilton hints at engine upgrade

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The Mercedes team's domination of the 2019 world championship may continue unabated in Montreal next week with the German outfit set to introduce its first engine upgrade of the season.

After completing a clean sweep in the first five races of the year, Lewis Hamilton kept the Silver Arrows squad's winning record at 100 percent in Monaco where team mate Valtteri Bottas finished third.

Honda, Renault and Ferrari have all updated their power units in the past few races, leaving Mercedes as the last manufacturer to introduce a new-spec engine.

Mercedes admits Hamilton one lap away from losing Monaco GP

"I know the guys back at the factory are working on developments," Hamilton said last weekend in Monaco after achieving his 77th career win in F1.

"We will probably have a new engine by the next race, so the car will continue to move forward as we will."

Hamilton's victory in the Principality came after Mercedes had opted to put the Brit on Pirelli's medium compound for his second stint, a decision that made life difficult for the reigning world champion who had to carefully manage his tyres in the closing stages of the event while also fending off the incessant attacks of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Hamilton admitted that Mercedes' rivals were "as close as they could be" in Monaco, and the team's strategist James Vowles also revealed that the outfit had likely avoided its first defeat of the season by a single lap such was the pitiful state of Hamilton's front tyres at the end of the afternoon.

"Obviously we were on the wrong tyres, so strategically we could have done a better job, without a doubt,e he said.

"We don't always get that perfect and I think we'll definitely learn from it. What doesn't break you only makes you stronger."

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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.