Interlagos is the cheapest place for Russell's engine penalty, and Mercedes know it

Why Singapore made this unavoidable

Russell retired with a power unit failure in Malaysia. The suite of component changes that followed earned him a 60-place grid penalty in Singapore last month, and he knew then that one more penalty was coming before the season ended. The only question was where. Russell said the team felt Interlagos was a good place to take it.

What Hamilton managed here in 2021

Russell pointed to Lewis Hamilton, who had a big grid penalty at this track a few years ago and, in Russell's words, did pretty well. That undersells it. Driving for Mercedes in 2021, Hamilton was disqualified after topping sprint qualifying because of a misaligned DRS, then charged from 20th to fifth in the sprint. A new internal combustion engine dropped him to 10th for the grand prix, and he still won it comfortably.

Our view is that five places at Interlagos is a fair price, and Mercedes were right to pay it now. The drivers' championship is already sealed and the constructors' title all but guaranteed, so there is little left for a better grid slot to protect.

The upgraded engine that may not arrive

The awkward part is the timing Mercedes first had in mind. The Race reported that this penalty was originally meant to coincide with the debut of the team's ADUO engine, developed under the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities rules. That debut is now uncertain. According to The Race, Mercedes don't want to rush it and "will only introduce it when it is sure it is ready".

With no guarantee the new engine runs this season, holding Russell's penalty back for it would have meant gambling on a part that might never appear, and still having to take the drop somewhere less forgiving than Interlagos.

Russell's five places come off wherever he qualifies this weekend, and after Brazil there are at most three races left for the ADUO engine to make its debut.