Russell takes new power unit, will start Singapore GP from the back; Sprint unaffected
Mercedes will fit George Russell with a new power unit for the Singapore Grand Prix, meaning he drops at least 10 places on Sunday's grid, which the team describes as a start from the back. The penalty applies to the race only, not Saturday's Sprint, so Russell still has a route to points there.
What has been confirmed
RacingNews365 reported on 6 October that a Mercedes spokesman confirmed Russell will take a new power unit in Singapore. In its article of 7 October, formula1.com said the penalty is at least 10 places and depends on how many new parts are fitted, and that Mercedes describes it as starting from the back of the grid. The formula1.com article does not say which power unit components are being replaced.
The cause is the power unit failure at the previous round in Sepang. RacingNews365 wrote that Russell stopped on track behind the safety car, that it was his second power unit failure of the season, and that the first came at the Canadian GP. Team principal Toto Wolff told formula1.com: 'Malaysia was obviously a very difficult weekend for us', calling the penalty 'part of the sport'. However, both articles name the Bahrain GP as the location of the failure in one place in the body text, so the sources contradict themselves. This piece follows Sepang, as indicated by both articles' introductions and the quote.
The ADUO engine arrives early
According to formula1.com, Mercedes had planned to bring an upgraded engine later in the season through the FIA's ADUO programme, but the damage forced it to bring that change forward to Singapore. A Mercedes spokesman said Russell's new power unit could be of the current specification. RacingNews365 likewise said it is not confirmed whether the ADUO engine will go in Russell's car, and that it had been expected at the US GP in Austin. If the ADUO engine is used in Singapore, the outlet explains, Russell would avoid stacking two back-of-grid penalties.
Championship impact
Kimi Antonelli scored 18 points for second place in Sepang, stretching his lead over Russell in the drivers' championship to 84 points. formula1.com noted that Sepang was Russell's third non-scoring round of the season. RacingNews365 calculated that with 150 points still available after the Singapore weekend, Antonelli cannot clinch the title in Singapore.
| Session | Russell penalty |
|---|---|
| Saturday Sprint | None (starts from qualifying position, barring other in-weekend penalties) |
| Sunday race | At least 10 places; Mercedes describes it as a start from the back |
This Sunday's race starts at 20:00 local time (12:00 UTC). For Russell, the Sprint is the surest chance to score this weekend.