Penalty is for taking a new engine rather than a full power unitHamilton fastest in first practice session at Istanbul ParkLewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team have taken a calculated risk in replacing his engine for this weekend’s
Turkish Grand Prix. The world champion will receive a 10-place grid penalty from which he is hopeful of coming back to minimise the points he is likely to drop to his title rival, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton is locked in a tightly fought contest with Verstappen and holds a slender lead of two points after 15 rounds. Seven meetings remain, including Istanbul Park, and with Mercedes concerned about the reliability of their current engines they have opted to take their fourth of the season, one more than is allowed by the regulations, triggering the penalty.