Russell Expects Another Engine Penalty as Mercedes Split Car Specs for Singapore

Mercedes will split its car specifications between its two title rivals at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix as the team searches for answers over an aerodynamic upgrade that flopped in Malaysia. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will keep the upgraded package that debuted last weekend at Sepang, where he finished second behind Max Verstappen's Red Bull, while George Russell — who starts Sunday's race from the back of the grid after an engine failure forced him over his power-unit allocation — reverts to the older specification he won with in Baku two weeks ago. Running the two specs side by side on Singapore's slow, twisty street circuit gives the team a direct comparison before deciding its development direction for the rest of the season. Russell said the split was his idea, claiming he pushed for it before the Malaysia race, and the penalty made the call a "no-brainer." Antonelli, meanwhile, is committed to the new package for the entire weekend with no option to revert during the season's final sprint event, leaving the 20-year-old just one Friday practice session to perfect the setup. There was more bad news for Russell: his fresh power unit does not include Mercedes' ADUO upgrade, which will instead debut at the United States GP in Austin, and with seven races remaining he admitted another grid penalty is unavoidable before the season ends. Antonelli leads him by 84 points, and Austin is the earliest the title can be decided.