Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says he is e🐻xpecting 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 pouring out of the back of his stationary Mercedes carไ.

Bottas reported he had received a warning on his steering wheel dash that signalled a hydrauℱlic failure, prompting him to park his W09 in the final sector.

Asked about the issue immediately after the session, Wolf💦f told Sky Sports F1: “The car is not back yet 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 penalty due to not adding a new engine to his pool of power unit elements.

The Finn had been running Mercedes' PU3 this weekend and will now ꦚbe fitted with his PU4 engine, which he previously used in last weekend's United States Grand Prix. 

“Th🥀e engine stopped and I got this warning [on the dash], I can’t say more,” Bo💟ttas explained.

“We need to investigate what was actually the issu😼e. It was hydraulic we think, but we nee❀d to see.”

Lewis Hamilton, who can wrap up a fifth world title at this weekend’s race in Mexico City, recovered from Mercedes’ stru💮ggles on Friday to post the second-fastes⭕t time, 0.254s behind pacesetter Max Verstappen.

Despite the improveme🍒nts, Wolff stressed his team is “not in a happy place” heading into qualif⭕ying.

“The dr🍃ivers 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 s𝐆o we are not in a happy place.”