Ankara:George Russell will begin the Singapore Grand Prix from the back of the grid on Sunday due to a power unit change, as confirmed by Mercedes. This development was announced by Formula 1 on Wednesday and poses another challenge to Russell's championship aspirations.

According to Anadolu Agency, Russell experienced a power unit failure while holding third place in the final stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. This incident forced Mercedes to advance an engine change initially set for later in the season.

The power unit change exceeds Russell's allowed allocation of components, resulting in a grid penalty. Consequently, Mercedes confirmed that Russell will start Sunday's race from the back.

This penalty is a significant setback for Russell, who is currently 84 points behind his teammate and championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, with seven rounds left in the season. Antonelli further solidified his lead by finishing second in Malaysia, while Russell's engine failure led to his retirement, marking his third race without scoring points this season.

The upcoming Singapore Grand Prix is set to be held at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.