Lewis Hamilton thinks engine penalty during F1 2016 now inevitable

The reigning world champion encountered an identical MGU-H problem in Sochi qualifying to the one that affected him at Shanghai.

The team subsequently decided to fit his original unit from Australia, which had been used in the subsequent two races and then fitted with new parts after the China failure.

Engine penalties kick in when the sixth component of one of six items - internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, control electronics and energy store - is used.

Hamilton is already up to his third turbocharger and MGU-H with 17 races remaining.

"I'm running out of engines so that's on my mind," he said.

"It's not that it's hurting, it's just... it's not great.

"What's pretty key is that we understand what it is, more so than before, and try and be careful in how we pick out all the engines because obviously I have only three for the rest of the year.

"So I'm going to have another penalty at some point, but I'll do the best job I can."

Hamilton also suspects he will get a grid penalty at some point for a stewards' reprimand, as being censured for rejoining the track incorrectly in qualifying in Russia put him within one reprimand of a grid demotion.

Despite the his poor run of form in the first four races, which leaves him 43 points adrift of team-mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg, Hamilton said his Sochi pace had buoyed him.

"We did a fantastic job in terms of getting the car where it needed to be," said Hamilton.

"I felt very strong with where we had the set-up, very happy and it was just another race I wasn't fully able to exploit that.

"In terms of the work we're doing, I come away with a glass half full - there is still a long way to go.

"If we take this performance we've had, my group of guys with the set-up and everything, there is no reason why we can't fight for wins.

"Once they fix the other issues, and hopefully we won't have any other issues, there are 17 [races] to go.

"If the last four are anything to go by, for sure there is more to come, but you just have to take it and twist it into positives."