George Russell racks up an additional penalty ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix
Photo: Race Pictures
Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
George Russell has been handed a further 20-place grid penalty ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, taking his combined penalty in today's race to 60 places.
The Mercedes driver’s latest sanction follows the use of a fourth energy store and a fourth control electronics unit during qualifying. Both elements are beyond the permitted allocation, with each carrying a 10-place penalty.
The stewards confirmed the decision after receiving a report from the FIA Technical Delegate. The penalty will be applied at the next race Russell contests, which is the Singapore Grand Prix.
Russell had already accumulated 40 places in penalties, and this latest decision adds another 20. Despite his tally rising to 60 places, Russell will start today's race in 19th place.
That is because there are pit lane starts for Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hadjar and Alonso have taken on new power unit components, while all three have made suspension changes.
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Russell looks to bounce back from difficult Saturday
Russell will be hoping to make the best out of a bad situation as he lines up in P19 for the Singapore Grand Prix. The British driver endured a miserable Saturday, thanks to a crash from the lead during the sprint race.
The Mercedes driver had taken the lead from Max Verstappen at the start, only to crash out of the final corner in slippery conditions after running too wide. His car was not fully rebuilt ahead of qualifying and was missing some sensors, while the floor may also have been compromised.
Without his penalty, Russell would have lined up sixth, two places behind his championship rival and teammate Kimi Antonelli. The Italian has an 89 point lead over Russell in the standings and could win his first championship as early as the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, later this month.
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