After recent reliability problems, with two failures in the last two races, Mercedes has decided to fit the third Power Unit on the W16s of Russell and Antonelli in Canada, giving them a fresh engine to exploit on Montréal’s long straights. A third PU also for Alonso after the issues in Monaco, while Lawson is already on his fourth unit.
Until a few years ago, at least before the pandemic and the Power Unit freeze, the Montréal round was one of the most anticipated on the calendar, as it wasn’t unusual for manufacturers to introduce a new engine there and, above all, bring updates to their units.
Even though Power Units are now frozen, it doesn’t mean that the Canadian track isn’t still one of the most demanding for engine use, as Montréal is a stop-and-go-style circuit where aerodynamic efficiency on the straights matters more than pure downforce.
Because of this, some teams choose to rotate in a fresh engine precisely in Canada. This year, several teams have replaced their units earlier than usual, advancing the PU rotation compared to a more traditional plan, while others waited for Canada, as in the case of some Mercedes-powered teams.
Both drivers from the factory team, George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, along with Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, have fitted their third engine out of the four available for the season. For Antonelli and Alonso, it was essentially a forced decision: the Italian lost a unit in Spain due to a race failure and will certainly face a penalty later in the season.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Mercedes chose to play it safe with Russell, especially since last year, in similarly cool conditions, the team made a turning point in its season right here in Canada. Their cars have also had the MGU-K and MGU-H replaced, along with the turbo and exhaust system, while the control electronics and energy store remain unchanged.
In Alonso’s case, the technical issue suffered in Monaco led to the need for a new unit, thus bringing forward his rotation. Lance Stroll, in the other Aston Martin, has not yet changed engine and is still on his second unit, as are the Williams and McLaren drivers—this last team features one of the most efficient cooling systems on the grid, often making it one of the most “closed” cars in terms of hot-air outlets.
Although most drivers are still using their second unit, Mercedes has shown concern after experiencing two engine failures in two races—something that hasn’t happened in a long time.
Honda-powered cars appear to be struggling more, being among the most generous in terms of hot-air openings to allow better breathing for a Power Unit that, over the years, has often shown a few too many technical issues. Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car has received its fourth engine, the last one allowed before incurring a penalty, along with a new MGU-H, turbo, and exhaust system.
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