Heading into this weekend with a healthy lead over Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton makes things more interesting by taking an engine penalty.

By the Formula One Rules and Regulations, drivers may only use a limited amount of engines components through the season. Due to a string of unreliability early in the season, Lewis has used all 5 of his limit for MGU-H and turbo units. The penalties for using more than the allotted components is a grid spot demotion, dependent on the number of units being switched.

As of today’s press conference, neither Mercedes nor Lewis could confirm the number of components being switched or the resulting penalty.

“As far as I am aware we will be taking a penalty here this weekend, yes… I have no engines left.” – Lewis Hamilton

This should welcome news to the whole grid, but most importantly Nico Rosberg who could use all the help he can get in closing the points gap to Hamilton, his Mercedes teammate. While Lewis has won twice at Spa, Nico Rosberg has never won. However, Spa can be a surprising place and the speed from the rest of the competitors will factor as well.

“it’s still going to be a challenge because if we remember just four weeks ago I finished behind two Red Bulls in the race. So I still need to beat all the opposition – and even Lewis.” – Nico Rosberg