Brief

George Russell to start Singapore Grand Prix from back after Bahrain engine failure

Russell's championship hopes are further dented as a new engine penalty forces a rear‑grid start in Singapore.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:34:05 GMT

Mercedes driver George Russell will start the Singapore Grand Prix from the back of the grid, the Independent reports. The British driver suffered a power‑unit failure in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, leaving him 84 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli with seven races remaining. Russell said a title is now “exceptionally unlikely”. Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord said the team has inspected the car and identified a clear mechanical failure on the power‑unit side, but the root cause is still unknown. The new engine will exceed component limits, triggering the grid‑penalty that will see Russell line up at the rear for the main race, though the sprint race on Saturday will not be affected.

Key facts

George Russell's engine failed in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix. (independent.co.uk)
He is now 84 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli with seven races left. (independent.co.uk)
A new power unit will force Russell to start the Singapore Grand Prix from the rear of the grid. (independent.co.uk)
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord said the failure was a clear mechanical issue on the power‑unit side. (independent.co.uk)