George Russell has already confirmed that he is likely to take a penalty for an engine change at some point during the 2026 Formula 1 season as his title chances diminish.
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Finishing in second place at the Italian GP, the Briton is now 66 points behind Kimi Antonelli, who won in Monza after starting 19th due to a penalty for a power unit change.
Now, until the end of the year, probably in Azerbaijan or the United States, where overtaking is easier, George is expected to start from the back of the pack. “Most likely I will receive a penalty at some point in the next races. I hope it will be after we get the update on the car, which should make the situation a bit easier than it is currently,” he said.
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“Of course, Monza is a great place, and a quite common location, to serve grid penalties, but honestly, it’s not something I’m thinking about right now. The championship is not my focus. I only think about my performance, and I had a very strong performance this weekend,” he continued.
“We didn’t hit the mark exactly when it really mattered [in qualifying], but we were among the top three in all sessions over the weekend. Also, in Zandvoort, I started on the front row in both the Sprint race and the main race. So, I’m happy with the pace I’ve maintained since the season break,” he concluded.
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