F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Horner: Mercedes engine reliability issues 'very unusual'

Christian Horner admitted to being surprised by the recent engine reliability issues encountered by Mercedes that could end up deciding the outcome of Red Bull's championship battle with its rival.

As the two teams fiercely fight for supremacy ahead of the final leg of the 2021 season, Mercedes appears to be pushing the boundaries of its power unit's potential to try and secure an advantage.

But in doing so, the German manufacturer is also putting its unit on the fringes of reliability, with issues creeping in that threaten a costly DNF for championship contender Lewis Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The Finn was handed new units in Italy and in Russia, while Hamilton took on a fresh ICE in Turkey. But in Austin, Bottas was the recipient of a sixth engine while customer teams Aston Martin and Williams were also supplied with complete new power units, respectively for Sebastian Vettel and George Russell.

The successive change point to worries creeping in at Mercedes and to the likelihood of Hamilton enduring another grid penalty at an upcoming race if another engine change is in the works.

Horner believes Mercedes is "weighing up risk versus reward" regarding its engine situation as the championship battle enters a crucial phase

"They’ve obviously been the benchmark of reliability the last six or seven years," Horner said. "So it’s unusual that they are in this situation."

Red Bull is also diligently managing its pool of Honda hardware, having allocated a fourth fresh engine to Max Verstappen in Russia with the hope that the Dutchman will be able to make it to Abu Dhabi with his current inventory of Honda units.

"We’re hoping to get it through to the end of the year with what we have, but that’s our assumption," Horner said.

"I think the situations can change quite quickly, as you can see, so you know, you can never say never.

"But we feel that by taking a penalty in Sochi, it got us back into a reasonable position."

The fight between Red Bull and Mercedes looks set to go don to wire, and Horner says that his team is pushing itself and Mercedes as hard as it can.

"We’ve really thrown everything at this season and at pretty much every race we’ve managed to give them a hard time," said the Briton.

"So when you consider how dominant they’ve been the last seven years and that this car is largely a carry-over of last year’s car, which was arguably their most dominant car, it’s testimony to the [Red Bull] team.

"They’ve got ourselves into this position to be challenging them with six races to go."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.

Recent Posts

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

12 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

13 hours ago

Jos Verstappen rips British media after Brazilian Max fest

Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…

15 hours ago

Leclerc left with ‘mixed feelings’ after disappointing Sao Paulo GP

Charles Leclerc's weekend in Sao Paulo was unfortunately a stark contrast to Ferrari's recent triumphs…

16 hours ago

Back when Kimi knew exactly what he was doing

Twelve years ago on this day, Kimi Raikkonen took a popular win at the 2012…

18 hours ago

Mercedes fined for starting grid tyre pressure infringement

The Mercedes team was hit with a fine by the FIA after Sunday’s Sao Paulo…

19 hours ago