Will George Russell Face a Grid Penalty in Singapore?

George Russell's retirement from yesterday's Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia, could also impact the Briton's chances at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

Shortly after the chequered flag at Sepang, Toto Wolff confirmed that Russell's DNF was caused by a power unit failure. The problem for the Mercedes driver is that he has already reached his maximum allocation of engine components for the season, meaning any new parts will trigger a 10-place grid penalty per element.

Earlier this season, his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli served a similar grid penalty at his home race in Italy, yet still stormed through the field to win at Monza from 19th on the grid. On that occasion, the championship leader took full advantage of the ample overtaking opportunities at the Temple of Speed to carve his way to victory.

Passing in Singapore is notoriously difficult, however, dealing a major blow to Russell, who looks almost certain to start from the back of the grid at Marina Bay. The Briton will be banking on a safety-car-strewn, chaotic race to fight his way into the big points under the Singapore floodlights.