Mercedes faced own engine dramas in first F1 2020 test
Mercedes’ first Formula 1 2020 pre-season test may have looked like it ran like clockwork, but it has emerged that the German car manufacturer did have some reliability concerns after being forced to change an engine.
Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were fastest overall, topping the times on two of the three days, as their new W11 proved to be fast straight out of the box. It was in contrast to main rival Ferrari, which had a low-key week at Barcelona that was not helped when Sebastian Vettel suffered an engine problem on the final morning of the test.
But while Mercedes appeared to run without drama, Motorsport.com has learned that the electrical problems that stopped Bottas on the second day of testing were more terminal than original indicated. In fact, the power unit itself was broken and had to be replaced.
Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell had admitted over the winter that its development had not been without drama.
“[There's] lots going on in Brixworth, lots of improvements across the whole power unit, on the ERS side, on the internal combustion engine side," said Cowell.“As ever, [we're] fighting a few little issues as we pull everything together.
“So lots of work going into building the right spec, getting it long-runned, and then providing power units to the teams so that they can fire up their cars.”
Williams rookie Nicholas Latifi also lost track time on Friday when his Mercedes power unit required changing.
Ferrari and Mercedes were not the only manufacturers to change an engine, because Honda also had to make a precautionary engine change on the second day when a problem was detected on Alex Albon’s power unit. But the Japanese manufacturer gave that power unit the all clear after checks and it was refitted for the final day of running.
Looking at the distance covered per manufacturer, Honda had an impressive start to testing…
Laps per power unit
| Power unit (teams) | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Total | Average per team |
GP distance
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mercedes(Mercedes/Racing Point/ Williams) |
417 | 444 | 326 | 1,187 | 396 | 17.98 |
 Ferrari(Ferrari/Haas/Alfa Romeo) |
374 | 414 | 304 | 1,092 | 364 | 16.55 |
 Honda(Red Bull/AlphaTauri) |
284 | 281 | 290 | 855 | 427.5 | 12.95 |
 Renault(Renault/McLaren) |
279 | 230 | 294 | 803 | 401.5 | 12.17 |
F1 teams are limited to using three engines for the entire season, which means each power unit has to cover thousands of kilometres.
Last year, Motorsport.com revealed just how far a typical Mercedes component had covered as Hamilton rounded off the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
|
Part |
Distance completed |
|
Internal Combustion Engine |
5,578km |
|
Turbo |
5,578km |
|
MGU-H |
5,578km |
|
MGU-K |
7,281km |
|
Control Electronics |
12,966km |
|
Energy Storage |
8,164km |
Tech analysis: Red Bull goes own way with new suspension idea
What we’ve learned from the first F1 2020 test
Bourdais “surprised” Cadillac was beaten on pace in Rolex 24
Chip Ganassi Racing ace Sebastien Bourdais has expressed surprise that the Acura ARX-06 outperformed the similarly new Cadillac V-LMDh around Daytona.
Rolex 24: Meyer Shank Racing wins again, leads Acura 1-2
Meyer Shank Racing scored its second consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with its Acura ARX-06 shared by Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud, leading home a one-two for Honda's prestige brand.
Stunning Porsche Rolex 24 comeback halted by technical gremlin at Daytona
Porsche’s Nick Tandy stormed back into contention for the overall lead fight in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, only for his 963 to be struck by a technical failure that sent it to the garage.
Webber: Red Bull will remain "dangerous" threat in F1 2023 title fight
Mark Webber believes Red Bull will remain the “most dangerous team” in Formula 1 in 2023 despite facing penalties for its cost cap breach.
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 'holiday' races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.