Hamilton considers copping double Mercedes engine penalty in order to store parts

Lewis Hamilton is mulling over taking a double engine penalty at a forthcoming grand prix in order to create a pool of race engines to get him to the finish of the season.

Hamilton was forced to take his fifth turbocharger during the Austrian GP recently, meaning it is inevitable that he will be forced to take a 10-place grid drop at some point with the single unit not being able to last the remaining 11 races.

When a driver exceeds his five allocated engine components it triggers an automatic 10-place penalty, and should they take another on the same weekend they will start at the back of the grid.

Hamilton has confessed that he could take two new engines at one round in an effort to create a pool of spare parts to get him through the season without further sanction.

The downside of that plan is that it would make Hamilton ineligible to receive any performance or reliability upgrades Mercedes may have in the pipeline.

Hamilton said when asked about the possibility of taking a double penalty to ease his spares situation: “That’s a solution I’ve come up with myself. That would definitely be something that could be done. I’m definitely going to be taking another engine. It’s more of a question of when I take it.

“The strategists will be looking at it at all the races and saying ‘This is a track where it is easier to overtake’. Ultimately it’s my decision because I’m the one who actually knows where I’ll be able to do the job in the best place.

“I have to be strategic in how I decide that, but it would be nice to get a few engines in the pool at the same time. I hope at some point I’m able to get some fresh ones.”