Russell to take five-place grid penalty for Brazilian GP

George Russell will take a five-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, giving him a second grid drop in four races. Mercedes has chosen Interlagos for a power-unit component change Russell knew he would need before the season ends.

The penalty follows a 60-place drop in Singapore last month, imposed after a suite of component changes. Those changes became necessary when Russell retired with a power-unit failure in Malaysia the previous week.

Mercedes has opted to take the penalty in Brazil

Russell confirmed the decision on Mercedes’ Instagram account. He said the team had always expected to take another penalty between Singapore and the season finale, and judged Brazil a suitable place to do it. The five-place drop, he indicated, was manageable, with the aim of recovering positions on track.

The team’s choice was influenced in part by Lewis Hamilton’s experience at Interlagos. In 2021, Hamilton was disqualified from sprint qualifying after his car was found to have a technical non-conformity involving its DRS. He then climbed from 20th to fifth in the sprint.

A new internal combustion engine meant Hamilton started the grand prix from 10th, because the sprint result determined the grid at the time. He nevertheless won the race comfortably. That precedent offers a reason for Russell to see Brazil as a sensible venue for his own penalty, though it does not guarantee a similar recovery.

For more on the context around the Mercedes driver, read our coverage of Russell’s Singapore challenge and his Mercedes future.

Mercedes’ ADUO engine debut remains uncertain

The penalty had initially been expected to coincide with the debut of Mercedes’ Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) engine. That introduction is now uncertain, with no guarantee the engine will appear before the end of the season. There can be no more than three races remaining after Brazil.

Mercedes is unwilling to rush the upgrade and plans to introduce it only once the team is confident it is ready. The drivers’ championship has already been decided, while the constructors’ title is described as all but guaranteed. That leaves the team focused on the timing and readiness of the new engine rather than forcing its arrival this weekend.