Valtteri Bottas says Mercedes will decide on Friday morning whether to take on a fresh engine, which would trigger a substantial grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Under Formula 1 regulations drivers are limited to three Internal Combustion Engines, Turbochargers and MGU-Hs, and two MGU-Ks, Energy Stores and Control Electronics per season.
Bottas has already reached the limit of each respective component, meaning that a first breach of the regulations will result in a 10-place grid penalty.
Should any penalty exceed 15 places than a driver is automatically sent to the back of the grid.
“Tomorrow morning we’re going to know 100 per cent which engine we’re going to start and then we’ll see,” said Bottas.
“If I need to take a new engine there is going to be a penalty.
“In any case Spa would be one of the best places to take it as it is a track where you could overtake.”
Should Bottas be slapped with a grid demotion then he is likely to be joined at the rear of the field by Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, who has also reached his season allocation.
“Probably,” said Hulkenberg on whether he would be relegated to the back. “I think it’s a bit TBC, the engine guys are looking into that stuff still. There might be something.”
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