Singapore Grand Prix: Heikki Plays His Joker

McLaren-Mercedes have announced that Heikki Kovalainen utilised his ‘free’ engine change prior to today’s qualifying session at the Singapore Grand Prix.

All drivers are permitted one ‘joker’ engine change this season, and after noticing some wear on Kovalainen’s engine, opted to play that card.

Mercedes’ motorsports boss Norbert Haug said:

“We have changed the engine in Heikki’s car as a precaution.

“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 insisted that the move was merely precautionary, and would not have been taken under last season’s rules, where there was no ‘joker’.

“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.

“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.”

Fellow McLaren driver, and Drivers’ Championship leader, Lewis Hamilton still has his ‘joker’ to play with four races, including tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix, remaining.

Neal’s View: This penalty-free engine change helps keep the top drivers racing each other. However, the rules are there for a reason, and should an engine fail, the same penalty should apply if it is the first time, or the twentieth.