Russell to be handed Turkish GP grid penalty

George Russell is to be handed a grid penalty for the Turkish Grand Prix due to exceeding the allocated number of power unit parts.

The Brit is to have a new engine, turbocharger and MGU-H fitted for the race at Istanbul Park. Each of the parts will be his fourth of the year, therefore exceeding the allowance.

He will be the first driver to receive an engine penalty this season, and it’s largely due to what happened in the first race back in July.

There, he was hit with an engine failure during the race and had to retire on Lap 49. After being analysed at the Williams factory, it was determined that the power unit had suffered a gear drive failure and was no longer usable.

Therefore, new parts had to be fitted for the second race, making a penalty at some point further down the line somewhat inevitable.

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Unfortunately, @GeorgeRussell63 will be required to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after taking a number of new Power Unit Elements this weekend.#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 | #WeAreWilliams 💙 pic.twitter.com/58utO5VySa

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) November 13, 2020

The news will be a big blow to Russell, who was desperate to make amends in Turkey for the mistake that saw him retire from a points-scoring position under the Safety Car at Imola.

What’s more, prior to the weekend, he was confident he’d have the car to do so.

“I’ve got to go into the next race with a positive frame of mind because we need to fight to get ourselves back in this position again,” he said.

“In all honesty, I’m confident we can. I think we’ve made some breakthroughs with the set-up and understanding of the car over the past couple of race weekends.

“I think we are in a really good position to always be on the front foot against Alfa Romeo and Haas, and definitely picking up places when people don’t optimise their sessions.”

As he has exceeded the allocation limit with three parts, he’s all but certain to start from the very back of the grid, even if he puts in a strong qualifying performance he has become renowned for.

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