Mercedes given George Russell BOOST after technical rule change

Mercedes

Mercedes given George Russell BOOST after technical rule change

The new power unit allowance will play into the hands of Mercedes and George Russell

Harry Smith

Wednesday 26 April 2023 12:57

Mercedes and George Russell have been handed a major boost for the 2023 season after the FIA revised the sport's power unit allocation.

With some drivers closing in on penalties already and a new sprint race format agreed upon, the FIA has agreed to increase the allocation of power unit compartments for the rest of the season.

In line with the new allocation rules, each driver will now get four ICEs, Turbo Chargers, MGU-H and MGU-Ks, instead of the previous allocation of three components per driver.

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This will be a massive boost for the likes of George Russell and Charles Leclerc, who have both suffered from engine issues during the opening rounds of the season.

Melbourne misery

George Russell's Australian Grand Prix weekend was one that started full of promise but ended with very little to show for his efforts.

The British driver was leading the Grand Prix from team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen before he gambled on an early pit stop under yellow flag conditions.

A power unit issue ended George Russell's Australian Grand Prix

Alex Albon's crash would eventually bring out the red flag, sinking Russell down the order.

Soon after the restart, the British driver's woes were compounded as a power unit issue forced the Mercedes team to retire the car, ending a promising weekend.

Under the new rules, this power unit failure will be far less damaging for Russell and Mercedes, who would have otherwise been much closer to a grid penalty for going over the component allocation limit.