Kovalainen takes 'joker' engine change
McLaren have given Heikki Kovalainen a penalty-free engine change prior to qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix
The Finn had not yet taken his one permitted 'joker' engine switch this season, and the team opted to do so this morning after noticing some wear on Kovalainen's Mercedes V8.
"We have changed the engine in Heikki's car as a precaution," said Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug.
"We saw a little bit of usage in the engine and this is a joker engine - so there is no grid penalty applied. The decision was taken yesterday."
Haug emphasised that the change was purely precautionary and would not have been undertaken without the 'joker' rule.
"If there was not a joker engine we would certainly have done nothing, and the chances that we would not have a problem are really high," he said.
"It is a critical time of the year and if you have it available you should use it. We have had very good reliability so far. If you see only a risk of one or two percent, maybe it is even less, then you should use it if you can."
Kovalainen's title-chasing teammate Lewis Hamilton still has his 'joker' change available.
Share Or Save This Story
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Jon Noble: An unfair perception or a genuine concern? Lifting the lid on Red Bull’s Tsunoda scepticism
The pre-race tweak that hampered Hamilton's British GP
MotoGP 2027 grid: All confirmed rider signings
Should the British GP ending cause a change in F1 safety car rules?
How Lola has revived a sportscar icon in a more sustainable form
Subscribe and access Autosport.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.
Top Comments