SAKHIR, Bahrain -- Lewis Hamilton will start the Bahrain Grand Prix with a five-place grid penalty after the team found an issue with his gearbox ahead of this weekend's race.
The FIA confirmed on Friday evening that Hamilton's gearbox had been replaced ahead of Saturday's final practice session, breaking the cycle of six consecutive races a gearbox is required to last under the regulations. As a result Hamilton will be issued with a five-place grid penalty on top of his qualifying position.
Mercedes said the problem was caused by a hydraulic leak in the gearbox and that Hamilton was lucky to finish the race in Melbourne.
The gearbox rule is in the regulations as a cost-saving measure and is intended to limit the amount of expensive drivetrain components fitted to a car over the course of a year. The rule only applies to the Saturday and Sunday of a race weekend, meaning the gearbox fitted to Hamilton's car during Friday practice would not have been the one that failed.
Speaking before the penalty was announced, Hamilton said: "We've got things to improve on. What it's just shown is that it's incredibly close between the three teams, like really close. I think it will be a tough weekend.
"I think we're going to have to look upwards and you'll see that the Ferraris seem to be a little bit quicker on the straights. So you could argue that it's a little bit of power but then a little bit of downforce."