George Russell was forced to watch his teammate Kimi Antonelli start from the back of the grid at the Italian Grand Prix after the young Mercedes superstar fitted an extra engine beyond the FIA’s annual allocation.
In what was a remarkable performance, Antonelli carved his way through the field before battling Russell for the lead for several laps until the British driver ran out of tyre grip. In the history of F1, only John Watson has started further back than Antonelli’s P19 and gone on to claim victory in a Grand Prix.
The key to Antonelli’s success was when a virtual safety car was deployed on lap 28 to cover the stricken Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. It was the perfect time for Antonelli, who had fitted the medium tyres during the early red flag, to take a pit stop for fresh rubber. With the field running at 40% of their top speed, this meant Kimi lost only about 15 seconds for his new tyres, something he easily made up during the final 25 laps of the Grand Prix.
Russell was strangely silent after the race on why the team had not also pitted him during the VSC. After all, he was the leading Mercedes driver and should have had pit-stop priority. Russell confirmed after the race that he thought both Mercedes were staying out, suggesting Mercedes did not offer him the chance to stop for fresh rubber.
Championship Blow and Upcoming Penalties
The result must have been a devastating blow for Russell, who would have hoped—with his teammate starting at the back—to make inroads into his lead in the drivers’ championship. Instead, he suffered a further loss of seven points, with Antonelli now 66 ahead of his teammate.
Now, with hope of claiming the drivers’ championship all but over, Russell has announced he will be taking a grid drop himself before the end of the season. “Most likely I will be taking a penalty at some point in future races,” Russell confirmed. “Hopefully [it will be] once we have the upgrade on the car, which should make it slightly easier than it is currently.”
The upgrade to which Russell is referring is a major overhaul of the W17, planned for either Malaysia (re-organised Bahrain Grand Prix) or Singapore. Teams calculate the life of an engine based on the mileage it has completed and whether any of the components are reaching the point where it is projected they will fail.
So Russell doesn’t really know when he will be taking the penalty. The best circuits remaining on the schedule for taking such a grid drop and recovering during the race would be Azerbaijan or the US Grand Prix in COTA.
Power Unit Updates and Strategic Dilemmas
However, Mercedes have planned to use their Additional Upgrade and Development Token (ADUO) granted by the FIA to bring an improved version of the Mercedes M17 power unit. Yet there are four more race weekends between now and the US Grand Prix, including power-hungry Baku and Sepang.
It seems a stretch for Russell to make that kind of distance with his current pool of engines, so inevitably he may end up taking two grid drops before the end of the year.
The GRandstand at Silverstone
George Russell has also this week been granted a stand at his home Grand Prix, where it will be kitted out in his colours.
The Landostand at Silverstone proved so popular in 2025 that, for this year, it was extended to host some 16,000 fans of the British world champion. For 2027, Russell will have a grandstand named in his favour, and when asked at Silverstone this year, he had this to say:
“It’s something we’ve spoken about with the team in the past, and it’s probably something we’re working towards for next year.” When asked where he’d like the stand named in his favour, he joked: “Where I’d like to put it? Lando’s got quite a good spot on the outside of Stowe, so I’ll try and steal it off him.”
Well, the Landostand will remain at Stowe for 2027, and Mercedes have decided the “GR” grandstand will be placed at the Farm curve, where fans this year were promised in the marketing a “prime view” of the first four corners of the circuit.
Speaking after the announcement made at Silverstone, Russell stated: “I’m really excited to announce that in 2027 for the grand prix, we’re going to have our own GR grandstand. It’s here, on the exit of Turn 1. So you can see all of Turn 1, Turn 2, the overtaking spot into Turn 3 and Turn 4, so it’s a really, really cool place on the circuit. It’s one of the best, in my opinion.”
Norris fans, by comparison, see the cars coming out of the high-speed Becketts/Maggots complex of corners and along the longest straight at Silverstone into Stowe. From there, they can see the cars enter the final set of corners before they enter the start-finish straight.
Contract Status and Future Security
George Russell has a performance clause in his contract with Mercedes that would see him remain with the team into 2027. He currently sits second in the drivers’ championship, which is presumably enough to meet the criteria.
Furthermore, with Max Verstappen announcing he will remain at Red Bull until 2030, the pressure is off the British driver, who was at risk of losing his seat to the four-time champion
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
