On Friday it was c💫onfirmed that Mercedes has opted to give Valtteri Bottas another new internal combustion engine, meaning the Finn will have to serve a five-place grid penalty at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. 

It marks the third penalty in four races for Bottas after switchin𒈔g onto his sixth ICE of the year, which is more than double the permitted allocation of components. 

Le🐷wis Hamilton was also forced to take a grid penalty for changing his engine at the Turkish Grand Prix as Mercedes tries to contain a problem with its power unit. 

Speaking after first📖 practice in Austin, Mercedes boss Wolff conceded the issues remain a real concern for his team and its customers, with Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and Williams driver George Russell also taking new engines. 

"You see this year we are suffering with reliabili⛄ty, we go onto the sixth engine for Valtteri and this is not something we choose to do,” Wolff explained. 

“We’re trying to really get on top of the problems and we haven’t understood fully. I think we are a step closer now, so it’s not always that we are 🌱easy with having the engin𝓡es. 

“We are hanging o♒n for dear life in supplying all customers - that is not trivial.”&n🐼bsp;

In an earlier interview with Sky, Wolff had dismissed a th💦eory suggested to him that the problem relates to “something to do with air valves deep in the engine” as "bullshit". 

And Wolff was keen to keep the exact cause of Mercedes’ reliabili🧸ty headaches private when probed again during his appearance in the press conference. 🦋;

“I wouldn’t want to disclose what it is for obvious reasons but it is always a concern,” he said. “I think when you look at Monza for example, Valtteri had to sꦚtart from the back and we are losing points on the way. 

“We are trying to push the performance every year and this year we’ve come to a point where that has cost u🦂s points. But over the last seven or eight y🏅ears that mindset has won us races and championships. 

“I would have hoped for fewer penalties and use less engines but this y🔴ear it has really hit us hard and McLaren and Aston Martin were more fortunate in that respect. 

“We just have to take it on the chin and do the ♈best possible job.” 

Wolff was equally tight-lipped on the prospect of Hamilton needing to take another new engine - and subsequent grid drop - be๊fore the end of the season. 

༒“I can’t say whether we will be taking one an𝕴d what the percentage is but obviously the risk is still there,” he stressed. 

“What is difficult to evaluate is, do you want to pre-empt the situation and take an🥀other penalty and take the hit, or do you want to really run it and then possibly risk a DNF. 

“That is a discussion that is happening as we꧃ speak and we haven’t ওcome to the right answers yet.”