Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says he is expecting Valtteri Bottas to take on a new engine ahead of qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix😼.

Bottas pulled ⭕off to the side of the track in the stadium section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez in the closing stages of a damp FP3, with smoke pouringꦫ out of the back of his stationary Mercedes car.

Bottas reported he had rec💟eived a warning on his steering wheel dash that signalled a hydraulic fa🍨ilure, prompting him to park his W09 in the final sector.

Asked about the issue immediately after the session, Wolff told Sky Sports F1: “The car is not back ye🌺t so we need to assess but it looks like a hydraulic failure.

“It’s probably going to be an engine swap. Let’s see if we can make it🍬 in time.”

Mercedes has since confirmed Bottas will avoid a grid drop pena🔯lty due to not adding a new engine to his pool of power unit elements.

The Finn had been ru💯nning Mercedes' PU3 this weekend and will now be fitted with his PU4 engine, which he previously used in last weekend's United Staဣtes Grand Prix. 

“The engine stopped🌊 and I got this warning [on the dash], I can’t say more,” Bottas explained.

“We need to investigate what was actually the issue. It was hydraulic๊ we think, but we need to🔥 see.”

Lewis Hamilton, who can wrap up a fifth world title at this weekend’s race in Mexico City, recovered from Mercedes’ struggles on Friday to post the second-fastest time, 0.254s behind pac🦩esetter Max Verstappen.

Despite the improvements, Wolff stressed hi꧋s team is “not in a hap𒅌py place” heading into qualifying.

“Thඣe drivers are not happy how the car is going, it’s sliding all over the place,” he said.

“We’ve clawed a bit back🔥 on the power unit but still there is a deficit so we are not in a happy place.”