Bottas set for Abu Dhabi grid drop after power unit change

Valtteri Bottas will take a grid drop for the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi with Mercedes having elected to fit a brand new power unit for this weekend.

The Finn retired from the last race in Brazil with an engine problem that was triggered as the result of high oil consumption.

The broken power unit was flown back to Mercedes’ engine headquarters in Brixworth for checks to see if it could be used again, but it was discovered that it could not be saved.

With Bottas’ other power units at the end of their mileage so unable to get him through the Abu Dhabi race weekend, Mercedes has had no choice other than to bring a brand new engine in to use for the last race.

It is not clear yet how many places Bottas will drop down the grid as the result of the changes, with Mercedes only likely to commit to which new components it introduces once track action gets under way.

Mercedes said in Interlagos that it was unsure what had been the cause of the eventual failure.

Technical director James Allison said: “We know that we had elevated oil consumption during the race that ran away very sharply – very sharply – about half a lap before we saw it expire. The engine stopped itself rather than expired in a heap.”  

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