Lewis Hamilton will commence this afternoon’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pit lane as Mercedes has decided to fit his Formula 1 car with a brand-new power unit.
Hamilton was all but guaranteed to exceed his maximum allocation on engine parts this term since he lost one unit in his pool with his retirement in Australia in April.
Mercedes has elected to take on that inevitable penalty with a change now as it has also made suspension tweaks to Hamilton’s W15 outside parc ferme regulations.
Hamilton qualified down in seventh place, two spots behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell, as he rued being unable to replicate his encouraging practice pace.
The seven-time F1 champion had been inside the top three positions during the opening two practice hours, but he blamed minimal grip from the tyres over his plight.
Hamilton’s drop down the order will give Lando Norris, who was eliminated in Q1, another promotion up the grid, with the McLaren racer now set to start in 15th place.
Oliver Bearman, who is embarking on his race debut with Haas this weekend, will also capitalise on his compatriot’s pit lane start as he will now start within the top 10.
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s prospects will depend on him being able to utilise the top-speed edge that Mercedes has harboured over the competition through the weekend.
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