Russell’s Sepang Failure Is Set to Cost Him Again in Singapore

Last year’s Singapore winner returns with little room for another setback. A consequence of his Sepang retirement now threatens his weekend before it begins.

George Russell’s lost podium at Sepang is set to become a second problem in Singapore, where a replacement power unit is expected to leave him starting Sunday’s Grand Prix near the back.

Mercedes confirmed to GPblog that Russell needs a new power unit following his retirement from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The change will take him beyond his permitted allocation of components and trigger grid penalties.

The expected outcome is a start at the rear. His exact position will depend on the penalties applied and the eventual starting grid.

The penalty Mercedes hoped to delay

Russell was running third at Sepang when his Mercedes failed late in the race. Kimi Antonelli finished second, leaving Russell 84 points behind his championship-leading teammate.

Mercedes had already anticipated taking another engine penalty, but Reuters reports that the team hoped to do so at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the round after Singapore.

That would have offered a more favorable setting for a recovery. Marina Bay’s narrow streets make passing difficult, increasing the importance of starting position.

The failure has therefore cost Mercedes some control over when to accept the setback. Instead of choosing the weekend, the team now has to respond to the available equipment.

A different return for the defending winner

Russell won the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix from pole. A likely start near the back would turn this year’s race into a very different assignment.

Mercedes also has performance questions to answer. In its Sepang report, the team acknowledged that it lacked the pace to challenge Max Verstappen, even before Russell’s retirement ended its double-podium prospects.

Russell described his race pace as stronger than his qualifying performance, but Mercedes left Malaysia needing to improve both speed and reliability.

The precise cause of the failure remains under investigation. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord has described it as mechanical, according to Reuters.

The Sprint remains an opportunity

The engine-related grid penalties apply to Sunday’s Grand Prix, rather than Saturday’s Sprint. That leaves Russell a separate opportunity to score before facing the expected Sunday recovery.

He remains second in the championship with 236 points to Antonelli’s 320.

For Russell, Singapore now carries two tasks: make the most of the Sprint, then recover as much as possible in the Grand Prix. The Sepang retirement has made both opportunities more important.