Broken engine or not; Russell doesn't need to fear grid penalty in Baku
General
- GPblog.com
George Russell crashed out in the Australian Grand Prix with a blown engine. A fire was visible and so it remains to be seen whether the Mercedes driver will be able to use his power unit (or at least some of its parts) again in Baku at the end of April. In any case, Russell need not fear a grid penalty.
According to team boss Toto Wolff, it seems that one of the cylinders was the culprit. However, further investigation at Brixworth will have to give a definitive answer as to the cause of Russell's failure. Then more will also be clear about how many new engine components the 25-year-old Briton will have to have fitted for the weekend in Azerbaijan.
Russell has not changed engine components before this season and so he will not be put back in the starting grid. However, a driver may only replace the energy store (ES) and control electronics (CE) twice per season. Should these parts not be reusable, there is a real chance of a grid penalty later in the season for Russell.
Engine parts used by driver prior to GP Australia
