George Russell expects another grid penalty after Singapore engine change

George Russell says his Singapore engine replacement will not be his last grid-penalty setback of the season. According to BBC Sport, the Mercedes driver expects another penalty when he takes an upgraded engine. He said the original intention had been to make the change in Austin, but earlier failures left him without an engine he could reuse.

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Formula 1’s official website reported that Mercedes expects Russell to start Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix from the back after exceeding his power-unit component allowance. The penalty is at least 10 places, with its size dependent on the components replaced. It applies to the grand prix, not Saturday’s Sprint, leaving that shorter race unaffected by this particular sanction.

Russell told the BBC that the upgraded engine is not available this weekend. With seven races remaining, he described a choice between trying to make the replacement last while accepting declining performance, or taking another penalty. He also said Singapore’s limited overtaking opportunities made it a venue he would not have chosen for the enforced change.

The latest setback follows his retirement in Malaysia while heading towards a podium finish. Formula 1 reported that it was his third round without points this season and that team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s championship advantage had grown to 84 points. Russell had also retired in Canada because of a power-unit failure, while Antonelli experienced reliability trouble in Barcelona.

Mercedes is also investigating why its recent aerodynamic update did not deliver the expected improvement. BBC Sport reported that Russell will use the specification with which he won in Azerbaijan, while Antonelli keeps the newer package introduced in Malaysia. Russell said the comparison should help establish whether the disappointing performance reflected the Sepang circuit or the update itself.

Team principal Toto Wolff said Mercedes needed more evidence before reaching conclusions about its performance, according to Formula 1’s report. He confirmed the team would assess both specifications in Singapore, whose different circuit characteristics would aid that work. Wolff said the priority was to provide Russell with a competitive car and opportunities to recover positions while securing the strongest possible result with both drivers.