F1: New engine spec for works Mercedes

Mercedes has used all seven of its remaining engine development tokens ahead of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix with an eye on 2016. This means drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will each utilize their third power unit of the season in the W06 ahead of first practice at Monza.

The move represents a tactical change by Mercedes, with the development only available to the works team for now and not customers Williams, Force India and Lotus, as it effectively pulls forward 2016 development.

Although Mercedes has declined to reveal the specific areas targeted by the tokens, their deployment is expected to help validate the use of a new fuel by supplier Petronas.

For Mercedes, there is no special engine for Monza this weekend, instead the team is exploring a new development direction with consideration towards the future rather than looking for a huge performance leap. Mercedes also has a new oil under evaluation which, if it proves effective, may potentially follow at some point soon.

The manufacturer believes what it learns and understands now will ensure its 2016 power unit will be more robust, for not only the works team but also its customers.

Asked about the upgrade, Hamilton said: "It's mostly [about] reliability, it's fuel, an improvement in the efficiency. We're not here to make a huge step. It's about improving reliability so we can push the engine more.

"The guys have naturally worked hard to have that engine here, so I feel positive about the change."

Ferrari is also expected to run with a revised engine at Monza, although it has not confirmed the number tokens it will spend.

Originally on Autosport.com