George Russell Set for Back-of-Grid Start in Singapore as Title Hopes Fade

George Russell is set to start from the back of the grid in Singapore this weekend in another damaging blow to his fading Formula 1 title hopes. Mercedes confirmed on Tuesday that the Briton has exhausted his season's allocation of four power units and must take a fresh engine for the sprint weekend, with the resulting penalties likely to send him to the back row for Sunday's race.

Russell retired from the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang last weekend with a power-unit failure five laps from the finish while running third. He remains second in the standings but now trails championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli by 84 points.

Saturday's race is the season's final sprint — engine penalties do not apply there — and with six rounds still to run after Singapore, the 20-year-old Antonelli is closing in on the title as the sport's youngest champion. Russell and Mercedes had hoped to take the engine penalty in Austin, where overtaking is plentiful, but the tight, sweltering Marina Bay circuit offers no such mercy. Russell won in Singapore from pole last year; the lowest winning grid slot there is 15th, set by Fernando Alonso in 2008.