Rosberg and Hamilton hit by a failure of the Mercedes MGU-K
While they were largely dominating the Canadian Grand Prix, both Mercedes cars experienced an electrical problem at the same time, which cost them the victory.
The epic 2014 Canadian Grand Prix was marked by a double failure on the Mercedes side. Indeed, almost simultaneously, Nico Rosberg, in the lead, and Lewis Hamilton, in second position, encountered a problem with the kinetic energy recovery system of the power unit, the MGU-K. The two men, who then had a lead of about thirty seconds over their closest pursuer, lost between one and three seconds from mid-race onwards.
After their last pit stop, Lewis Hamilton regained the lead but a brake problem ultimately sealed the fate of the Grey cars regarding victory: Hamilton had to retire, and Nico Rosberg – managing the situation – could only watch as Daniel Ricciardo surged towards his first F1 win with his overtaking move in the penultimate lap.
Mercedes, after the race, announced that the problem was with the MGU-K. There was nothing I could do about our issues, really. We were managing the lack of power but just after overtaking Nico […], my brakes failed into turn 10, explained Lewis Hamilton.
« The race was going smoothly […] when the two cars suddenly lost the MGU-K and a lot of power, which was really difficult, » said Nico Rosberg, who managed to finish second. The MGU-K, akin to a beefed-up version of the old KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), recovers energy released during braking to store it in a battery that can then provide additional power. Losing such an element not only makes braking more delicate but also results in a significant loss of power and thus speed, at a time when hybridization between gasoline engines and electric power is advanced in the premier category. This is what caused the downfall of the Silver Arrows.
