George Russell is set to start from the back of the grid at Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix due to a power unit change following his Bahrain GP engine failure. Russell suffered a power unit failure late in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia when running third, forcing him to retire while his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli finished second to extend his lead over the Brit at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 84 points with seven rounds remaining. Russell will take on a new power unit on Friday in Singapore, which will see him exceed the season allocation of four for each driver, therefore incurring a penalty that will drop him to the rear of the grid.
Russell was expected to have a new power unit at the United States Grand Prix later this month that was going to include an upgrade, with Mercedes taking up the opportunity they were granted by the FIA's ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) system to improve their engine. The ranking of Mercedes' engine performance below Red Bull's by the sport's governing body has caused some dispute, with the Milton Keynes squad arguing that the Silver Arrows, who are dominating the Constructors' Championship, already have the best power unit. It is now understood that Mercedes' upgraded power unit could be fast-tracked to be ready for Russell at the Singapore Grand Prix, which would at least prevent him having to incur further penalties later in the season for taking more new parts.
Both Mercedes drivers have suffered power unit problems throughout this season, with Antonelli having to start at the back of the grid at the Italian Grand Prix, where he stormed through the field from 19th to win. Monza is one of the easiest tracks on the F1 calendar to overtake at whereas the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore is one of the toughest. Singapore is a Sprint weekend so Russell's back of the grid start will only apply to the Grand Prix on Sunday and not Saturday's Sprint.
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord says the Brackley-based outfit are unsure what caused their latest issue in Malaysia with Russell.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing