Russell expects another F1 grid penalty later in 2026

George Russell expects another engine-related grid penalty later in the 2026 season, once Mercedes’ planned upgrade is ready. He said he would need another new engine then to reach the end of the year.

That would come on top of the penalty expected for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. Team principal Toto Wolff confirmed that a new power unit would push Russell over the limit for several components and bring a penalty; Mercedes expects him to start from the back of the grid. Damage from Malaysia forced the engine change forward to Singapore, while Russell said the original plan had been to take the penalty in Austin.

Russell said the failures had left him without an earlier-season engine to fall back on. He said seven races remained; a BBC report from 7 October put the tally at six or seven, depending on whether F1 received the security assurances it needed for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. His choice, he said, was to try to make the engine being fitted for Singapore last those seven races, accepting a performance loss as it aged, or to fit a new engine when the planned upgrade was ready and take another grid penalty.