Mercedes has confirmed that George Russell will start from the back of the grid in the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, following his retirement in the last race held in Malaysia.
The British driver was in third position under the safety car when he had to stop at turn 1 with five laps remaining due to a propulsion system failure. This has led the team to require a new engine for the race in Marina Bay, which involves a grid penalty, as Russell had already used the permitted limit of engines for the season.
With this setback, the Mercedes driver will be forced to start the race from an unfavorable position, although last year he secured a victory at the same circuit. The team principal, Toto Wolff, expressed that it is frustrating for Russell, as he had shown good pace throughout the season.
Additionally, Russell finds himself in a complicated situation in the standings, with an 84-point deficit to his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship. This penalty could also cause him to miss the opportunity to obtain a new updated engine, which the team had planned to provide him in the final rounds of the season.
Mercedes is now placing its hopes on Antonelli to regain lost ground. Wolff has acknowledged that last weekend was tough, but they see Singapore as an opportunity to analyze their performance on a circuit with different characteristics.
The race will take place this Sunday, and the team will aim to maximize their results with both cars, with the objective of continuing to evolve and compete at a high level.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
