Austin continues to haunt Mercedes as George Russell set to start US Grand Prix from pit lane

Mercedes' troubles in Austin persist as George Russell is set to start the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix from the pit lane following a costly crash in Saturday’s qualifying. The British driver had initially secured a sixth-place spot on the grid, but his accident damaged the team's newly upgraded parts, forcing him to revert to an older car setup for Sunday’s race.

Mercedes had brought a crucial floor upgrade to the Circuit of the Americas, hoping to boost performance for the weekend. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a backup for the upgraded parts, which were rendered unusable after Russell’s crash. To compound matters, Mercedes' overnight repairs violated F1's stringent rules, leading to the pitlane start penalty.

Russell will now have to race using the W15 specification last seen in Singapore, a clear disadvantage against his competitors who will be utilizing more recent updates. Teammate Lewis Hamilton also faced a frustrating qualifying session, finishing 18th after a difficult run. However, Hamilton will move up to 17th on the grid, benefiting from Russell’s penalty.

Lewis Hamilton offered his updates to Russell!

In a show of team spirit, Hamilton reportedly offered to swap his upgraded parts with Russell, knowing his teammate had a better shot at starting higher on the grid. However, Mercedes opted not to go through with the swap, possibly due to the complexities of adjusting car setups so close to the race.

The repercussions of Russell's penalty are felt not only within Mercedes but also across the grid. Pierre Gasly of Alpine will move up a spot from seventh to sixth, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso will also gain, now starting in seventh.

Here is the updated starting grid: