Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell crashed in Q3 of qualifying in Austria, but the seven-time champion's car was more damaged. Both still run this Saturday with new gears
Mercedes needed to replace the chassis of Lewis Hamilton's W13 after his crash in qualifying yesterday (8) for the sprint race in Austria. During Q3, when he was on a fast lap, the Briton lost the rear end at turn 7 at the Red Bull Ring and crashed heavily into the barrier.
George Russell's car also needed repairs, as the #63 crashed immediately after the red flag caused by his teammate's incident. In all, the two cars will still have different gearboxes, but no penalties for being within the permitted limit.
As for the wings, Mercedes mechanics worked relentlessly through the night to repair the parts in time for Saturday's activities. The engines, however, remained unchanged.
Another important item suffered considerable damage: the floorboards. One of the cars must compete with the new part, while the other will have to go on track with the repaired floor.
"There was a lot of damage," said Toto Wolff. "Last night in the garage it looked like someone had turned a lego box, but the mechanics did a great job," stressed the Brackley team boss.