Data Comparison sees Seidl Reject Notion of Hamilton ‘Rocket’ Engine in São Paulo

Andreas Seidl, the Team Principal of the McLaren F1 Team, has downplayed any suggestion that Lewis Hamilton had a different ‘rocket’ engine for the São Paulo Grand Prix, despite the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver appearing to be in a different class to everyone else.

McLaren are one of Mercedes-Benz’s customer teams in Formula 1, alongside the Williams F1 Team and Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, and regulations state that engine manufacturers cannot supply inferior engines to their customers. 

Seidl says he saw the data from the São Paulo race, which had seen Mercedes introduce a new power unit for the event, and he says there was nothing extraordinary about the engine used at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

And he believes the fact it was a new engine rather than a well-used power unit was the main reason to why Hamilton appeared so quick in Brazil and was able to climb from twentieth to fifth in the Sprint Qualifying race on Saturday and from tenth to first in the main race on Sunday.

“When I look into the data, and we compare the data from other teams, I don’t see there was ever an extraordinary, spicy engine around,” Seidl is quoted as saying by FormulaRapida.net. “In the end, we were happy with what we got supplied the entire year from Mercedes.

“It is clear it’s the same for every power unit manufacturer. Whenever you install a new engine compared to one that is high mileage, there is a difference in terms of power because of the natural degradation engines are having. That can cost some tenths.

“I see the same throughout the grid. But I don’t see anything spectacular or particular there on teams or power unit manufacturers.”