Mercedes dominance not a headache: 'Power unit not a factor'

The Brazilian Grand Prix was not only a weekend where a lot happened around grid penalties and talks with the race committee, but it was also a Grand Prix that brought the speed of the Mercedes cars to the fore. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto doesn't think teams need to worry as the speed has nothing to do with the power unit.

Lewis Hamilton lost his pole for the sprint qualification, as the gap from the DRS was too big. Despite this disqualification, he managed to finish the sprint race in fifth place. With a five-spot grid penalty due to an engine change, he was allowed to start the race from tenth, where he went on to win the race. Even Helmut Marko had to admit the speed was unprecedented: "It seemed like Hamilton had one gear more than the rest of the field."

Binotto, according to Speedweek at Sky Italia that he is not that worried yet. The Ferrari team boss doesn't think it's down to the power unit, but that it just varies from circuit to circuit. The Brazilian Grand Prix happened to be one where the Mercedes had an advantage.

"You can also see it in the performance of Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas, who did not start with a fresh combustion engine. The difference between the two Mercedes drivers was not that big. It will be more a question of how well the cars will suit the track characteristics in the next few races. And two of the circuits are new territory for everyone."