Today Lewis Hamilton visits the factory in Brackley as new bio-fuel worries for Mercedes Benz AMG F1 could harm Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 title chance in 2022 – The new technical regulations envisaged for the 2022 Formula One World Championship are complicating the design work for all the teams on the grid whose cars which will take to the track with novel and innovative features to combat the new regulations.

Lewis Hamilton has been at the Mercedes factory this week as the team builds up to the new Formula 1 season.

Teams who are concerned about the new F1 rules will include Mercedes, who are set to enter the Formula One championship with eight consecutive constructors’ titles under their belts. However, even before the action takes place on the track, certain elements of the new regulations seem to be of concern, especially in the power unit sector of the Brackley-based manufacturer; who have admitted a potential problem by Hyvel Thomas, the head of engine development.

The British engineer focused his attention on the composition of the new E10 biofuel, with ethanol as its main ‘green’ component.

Commenting on the change, Thomas said:

“There have been biological components in fuels throughout the hybrid era,” he explained in a video on Mercedes’ YouTube channel.

“In the past, for example, we had a volume requirement of 5.75 per cent. This year, with the changes to the regulations, that percentage has increased to 10% and, on top of that, other components such as ethanol must be used.

“This means that the engine will react slightly differently to the fuel. There are some areas of performance that we are really happy with, but there are others where we are honestly less happy. What we need to do is change the fuel where it is allowed, refining the power unit hardware where we can to maximise the effects of the things we like and minimise the effects of the things we don’t like.”

Mercedes are set to launch their new F1 car, the W13, on February 18th at an event broadcast live from the Silverstone track in the UK.