Russell to start from back of Singapore grid after penalty

George Russell will start from the back of the Singapore Grand Prix grid after receiving a power-unit penalty from a recent Bahrain Grand Prix incident. The 28-year-old Mercedes driver qualified in eighth place but was forced to retire from third position with five laps remaining due to an engine failure. Team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that Russell requires a new power unit for the upcoming race, as several components will be over the limit, resulting in a penalty.

The penalty has put Russell behind Kimi Antonelli in the Formula 1 world championship standings, with Antonelli now leading by 84 points. Seven races remain in the season, depending on the security reassurances for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Wolff expressed disappointment with Russell's penalty, emphasizing the team's focus on providing him with the best possible car and opportunities to recover.

Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix last month after facing a similar penalty. This is one of several setbacks in Russell's season, which has been plagued by mechanical issues. Extra points are available in Singapore, as it hosts the sixth and final sprint event of the season. Russell's penalty applies to Sunday's Grand Prix and not the sprint race on Saturday.

Wolff and his team have been working to understand why Russell's performance was not up to par, with the intention of scoring the strongest result possible in Singapore for both cars.