Russell will have a 5-place grid penalty this Sunday
The Williams driver is given a 5-place grid penalty at the Mexican Grand Prix. This penalty follows issues with the gearbox of his car during the practice sessions.
The weekend starts badly for the British driver, his car was hit by gearbox problems during free practice 2. He therefore has to change the part concerned and incurs a 5-place grid penalty for the Grand Prix this Sunday.
Exceptionally, we encountered several gearbox problems today and therefore had to take a new one which will give us a grid penalty. It’s not ideal, but the points will be distributed on Sunday, admits Russell.
The Briton remains optimistic about the race and his chances of performing well, even securing some points.
The first free practice session was excellent for us. The car was good, I found a good pace and we showed an excellent race pace. This will be crucial, as the thin air makes cooling, brakes, and power unit very difficult. If we can master this, then I think things are looking good for the race.
