Massa keen to get improved Mercedes engine

Recent reports pointed to the Williams tam being cautious in adopting the new Mercedes engine. But for team driver Felipe Massa he has spoken of his hope that the team can secure the latest spec unit that was introduced at Monza.

Mercedes had used its entire seven-token allocation ahead of the Italian Grand Prix in order to move ahead with the developments of their engine, but would only be in a position to supply the factory team. Hamilton would go onto to use this engine to good effect winning the Grand Prix.

But Felipe feels that the new unit should be made available to the customer teams before the end of the current F1 campaign. This is based on a feeling that it is only fair to have all Mercedes supplied teams running the same unit.

Felipe said: “We just had the new engine in Monza. So I think we should have maybe another three races – this one and maybe another two – and then after that we should have the last engine to finish the season.

“So if we change it then this is the time, but if we’re going to have this engine or not I don’t know.

“I really hope so, because it’s not nice when you have another team using the same engine as you but they have a more powerful engine. So I really hope we can have the engine, but if we’re going to have it or not, I don’t know.”

As for Williams position in the championship, where they are currently sitting in a comfortable third, Felipe spoke of his the Williams team still needed to push but that 2016 must soon take the main focus.

Felipe added: “To be honest I don’t see really many teams bringing new pieces from this race until the last race. Maybe we’re talking about very little things, but I think many teams are already thinking about next year, including us.

“So I think that’s the way we need to work and the way we need to push. We have some margin in the championship but it’s not finished.

“Maybe in two or three races we cannot finish in the points or maybe some bad things happen and Red Bull can catch us. But you need to think about next year very soon.”