"The guys worked hard and gave everything, but in the end we had to take a sensible decision," world champion Lewis Hamilton said.
But he admitted the decision could cost him in Canada.
"It's now the seventh race with the same engine," said Hamilton. "With every mile you lose more and more power. And on a track like Montreal, the effects are even greater."
Not just that, his arch-rival Sebastian Vettel will benefit from a fresh and upgraded Ferrari power unit.
"If Ferrari has a fresh engine that has even more power, then that's one or two tenths and it becomes a difficult task to keep up with them," said Hamilton.
"As a driver, of course I'll try everything."
Vettel, meanwhile, played down any advantage he might have.
"I don't know what Mercedes has or what they gain or lose because of it," he said.
"But I'm sure that all teams eventually bring new parts. The important thing is not what we do here, but whether over the course of the season we develop the car better than the others."
Merc sandbagging yet again in case they don’t pull it off. Poor Hammy, won’t stand a chance of winning if he hasn’t got the most powerful car on the grid.
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Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
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Rindtchamp
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Sadly we're not that lucky ;)