SINGAPORE: George Russell will be hit with a power unit penalty at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix that could result in Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli extending his lead in the Formula 1 drivers' standings.

“George has the added challenge of a power unit penalty, which will mean starting from the back of the grid on Sunday, following the engine failure in Malaysia,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff announced Wednesday.

“That is particularly frustrating given the way he drove last weekend and the result he deserved to be fighting for. Unfortunately, these things are part of the sport and our focus now is on giving him the best possible car and opportunities to fight back through the field.”

Russell's retirement in Malaysia already helped Antonelli stretch his lead over Russell from 66 to 84 points, with seven races remaining this season.

“Malaysia was obviously a very difficult weekend for us,” Wolff said. “We have spent the days since then working hard to understand why our performance was not where it should have been.”

The 20-year-old Antonelli, who finished second in Malaysia, is closing in on his first F1 title.

“The characteristics of the (Singapore) circuit are very different,” Wolff said, “and that will help us build a clearer picture of where we are.”