Briton George Russell will start from the back of the grid on Sunday at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver received a power unit penalty during the spectacular Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last Sunday.
The 28-year-old qualified eighth but was heading for a podium before an engine failure forced him to retire from third with five laps remaining.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed that Russell is due to use a new power unit this weekend, which would put him over the limits on several components and mean he would be penalized in Singapore.
Russell’s retirement last Sunday allowed Kimi Antonelli, who finished second behind Max Verstappen, to take a big step towards his first Formula 1 world title as the Italian is now 84 points ahead of his Mercedes teammate.
There are six or seven races remaining, depending on whether F1 gets the security assurances it needs for Qatar and Abu Dhabi, amid the war in the Middle East.
“(Russell’s penalty) is particularly frustrating given the way he drove last weekend and the result he deserved to fight for,” Wolff said.
“Unfortunately, these things are part of the sport and our focus now is to give him the best possible car and opportunities to fight on the field.”
Antonelli won last month’s Italian Grand Prix after receiving a similar penalty, while it was the latest setback in a season of frustrating mechanical problems for Russell, who won last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Additional points are on offer this weekend as Singapore hosts the sixth and final sprint event of the season. Russell’s penalty will apply to Sunday’s Grand Prix and not Saturday’s sprint race.
“Since last Sunday, we have worked hard to understand why our performance was not where it should have been,” added Wolff.
“Singapore provides us with an immediate opportunity to continue this work.
“We have to keep learning and get the best possible result with both cars.”
Gn sports
