George Russell will take a five-place grid penalty for the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix after using a fresh internal combustion engine. Formula 1 confirmed the scale of the penalty on November 6. Russell said Mercedes had already expected to incur another such penalty before the end of the season and chose Interlagos as the venue.
The penalty affects his starting position for the Grand Prix, rather than deleting his qualifying lap time or result. Russell still needs to qualify as high as possible before the grid adjustment is applied. He believes there is an opportunity to recover five places, although the race itself will determine how far he can progress.
Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord explained the choice as a balance between the performance of a fresh engine and the cost of managing an older power unit. The latter could require reduced output to protect reliability; accepting a grid penalty offers more favourable operating conditions for the remaining races.
Lord also said Antonelli would probably need an extra internal combustion engine at a later event. That was an expectation for a future decision, not confirmation of an equivalent penalty for Antonelli in Brazil. The two cars' plans must be assessed against their respective changes and confirmed penalties.
Antonelli was fastest in Brazil FP2. After securing the Drivers' Championship, he said he wanted to enjoy the racing more, while still identifying low grip, tyre degradation and car balance as areas to address. Mercedes has a competitive starting point, but its weekend preparation is not complete.
INKA SPORTS Analysis and Conclusion: Five places against the remaining season
The engine decision concerns performance across the remaining season, rather than only the five positions lost on Sunday's grid. Saturday's changing weather could influence qualifying and setup, and Russell's recovery prospects will develop with those conditions. The value of the fresh engine must be judged against its actual benefits in competition; a team mate's practice pace is not a guarantee that the penalty can be overcome.
