Bottas takes fourth F1 engine, set for Italian GP grid penalty

Mercedes has fitted a completely new power unit on Valtteri Bottas’ Formula 1 car, consigning him to a back-of-the-grid start for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 W12.
Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Mercedes AMG F1 W12.
© xpbimages.com

Bottas has moved onto his fourth internal combustion engine (ICE) of the season and also taken a fresh turbocha💝rger (TC), MGU-H, MGU-K and new exhaust system (EX) on his Mercedes.

༒A Mercedes spokesperson confirmed the power unit change was a "strategic" d♛ecision. 

As a result, the F✱inn is set to start the Italian Grand Prix from the very back of the 🎀grid.

However, Bottas will be able to start Saturday’s sprint race at Monza from wherever he qualifie🍌s on Friday evening as the grid drop will only be ap💯plied for the grand prix itself.

Earlier on Friday, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had indicated that the team w🅺as considering taking engine penalties in Itꩵaly.

 “I think🧸 we are all struggling on power units,” Wolff told Sky Sports.

“Maybe not ꧂only reliability but also how these power units work hard and how they’re degrading.

“Tജhere are thoughts, definitely, for this weekend but we haven’t come to a conclusion yet.”

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is also likely to have to take a fourth power unit before the end of the year, and the same is true for his main title rival Ma🌺x Verstappen.

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