Double blow as Russell faces back of grid start in Singapore

George Russell is set to start from the back of the grid in the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix this weekend, dealing another significant setback to his already struggling championship hopes. The Mercedes driver informed the team on Tuesday that he had exhausted his allocated engines for the season, requiring a new one for the sprint event. Consequently, penalties are expected to propel him to the back row for Sunday's race.

Tragically, Russell exited the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend with a power unit issue, five laps from the finish line, while positioned third. Despite finishing second overall, he is now 84 points behind reigning champion Kimi Antonelli. Saturday marks the final sprint event of the season, without engine penalties, and six races remain after Singapore. This gives Antonelli a clear path to claim the title as the sport's youngest champion, with numerous races still in contention.

Russell and his Mercedes team were well aware of the engine penalty, but had hoped to receive it at the US Grand Prix in Austin, following Singapore. The Texan track generally offers more overtaking opportunities compared to the narrow and challenging Singapore circuit. Antonelli capitalized on his penalty at Monza, his home race, starting from 19th place and ultimately secured victory.

Russell, on the other hand, won Singapore last year from pole position, one of the most grueling races on the calendar with scorching heat and humidity. The lowest winning grid position at Singapore is 15th, achieved by Fernando Alonso in a notorious 2008 race where his Brazilian teammate Nelson Piquet deliberately crashed his Renault on team orders.

Of the 16 races held at Singapore to date, 11 have been won from pole position. The team's deputy principal, Bradley Lord, stated that their investigation into Russell's Sepang engine failure is ongoing, but it is evidently a mechanical issue.