“Maybe we will add an engine…,” George Russell at risk of grid penalty as Mercedes consider engine change
Follow Us
George Russell
George Russell had a night to forget at the sparkling Marina Bay Circuit during the Singapore GP qualifying, and Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff has indicated that they can look to take an engine penalty in order to boost the Brit’s chances during the race.
George Russell was not able to make it into the Q3 session of the Singapore qualifying and ended up in a disappointing P11, his misery was further increased when he saw teammate Lewis Hamilton finish his outing in a brilliant P3.
The Brit has produced one of the worst qualifying sessions of his 2022 F1 season at a place where it is extremely difficult to overtake. The Marina Bay Circuit is not known for overtaking, and considering the starting position of the 23-year-old, tomorrow’s race will be an uphill battle for George Russell.
The Brackley-based team is well aware of the characteristics of the track and is believed that the Silver Arrows are considering putting a new engine into Russell’s W13 for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Toto Wolff’s take on George Russell’s struggles during Singapore qualifying
George Russell, ever since landing in Singapore, has proved second best to his teammate Lewis Hamilton and the qualifying session was another example of that.
After the end of qualifying, Toto Wolff was asked to delve into Russell’s struggles and while talking about it, he said, “We don’t know exactly what happened. Maybe we will use this [moment] to add an engine to the pool“
The Silver Arrows are not sure as to why Russell struggled massively in comparison to Hamilton, and are looking at their options ahead of the Singapore GP.
If Toto Wolff and Co. decide to add a new engine to George Russell’s car, then it would mean that he would have to start the race from the back end of the grid.
The Marina Bay Circuit is a tricky place as F1 has gone there after a hiatus of three years, and considering the ability of the 2022 cars to follow in close quarters, the new engine move could prove to be in Russell’s favor, however, it is still a risk and could go both ways.
Also read: ‘A real chance at a win tomorrow’: Lewis Hamilton optimistic about his chances in the Singapore GP
Stay Updated!
Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)