George Russell is set to delay his inevitable Formula 1 engine change penalty until Mercedes' new ADUO-upgraded specification is ready. According to sources, this may not occur until around the United States Grand Prix.
Early-season reliability problems forced both Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli to exceed their in-season component allocation. Antonelli elected to take extra power unit components at the Italian GP last weekend, starting from 19th, though he still managed to win the race.
It had initially appeared likely that Russell would take his penalty at the next race in Azerbaijan, as Baku's long straights would allow similar progress through the field. However, it has emerged that Mercedes plans to hold off on the switch to coincide with upgraded parts.
As The Race reported after the Italian GP, Mercedes is preparing an update to its power unit thanks to the extra allowance granted under F1's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system. This adds another layer of complication to when Russell takes a new power unit, as he is already at the limit on several components and has no headroom for new parts without penalties.
Having maxed out his internal combustion engine, turbo, energy store, and control electronics for the season, a move to fresh components in the next couple of races would trigger penalties. He would face a further grid drop if he then moved to ADUO-improved parts.
Speaking at the Spanish GP, Russell said the plan now was to twin his engine penalty with the ADUO step, as it was illogical to take a double penalty hit. Asked if there were any regrets about not following Antonelli in taking a fresh engine for the Italian GP, Russell said: "We were always going to take my penalty with the ADUO upgrade. Otherwise, if I took it there, I'd have to take it again. So it makes zero sense for me."
A final decision has not been taken by Mercedes yet about when its ADUO step will be introduced, although it had originally been anticipated for the next batch of flyaways in Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Singapore. However, sources suggest the spec is now looking much more likely to appear for the triple-header in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil.
When Mercedes introduces that upgrade, which is understood to include an improved turbo, Antonelli will also have access to it. The championship leader did not go for a full power unit change in Italy, as Mercedes restricted the switch to his internal combustion engine, battery, and control electronics. That means he has freedom to take a new turbo, MGU-K, exhaust, and ancillaries without penalty. Any improvement in specification that the works Mercedes team introduces also has to be made available to customer teams, although only at a designated time.
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