George Russell of Mercedes prepares to take another grid penalty during the Las Vegas Grand Prix scheduled for November 20-22. After starting from the back of the grid in the Singapore Grand Prix due to a power unit change, Russell managed to recover to ninth place. However, he now trails his teammate Kimi Antonelli by 102 points in the Drivers' Championship, effectively sidelining his title hopes with only six races left.

Originally, Mercedes planned for Russell to debut a new power unit at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, but the timeline has shifted. Russell confirmed, "It will probably be later in the season now to be honest - maybe Las Vegas. But it will be there at some point." This upgrade comes as part of the FIA's ADUO system, aimed at enhancing Mercedes' engine performance, which currently ranks below that of Red Bull.

Despite entering the season as a championship favorite, Russell has struggled against Antonelli, who has secured eight wins compared to Russell's three. The recent upgrades brought to Malaysia did not yield the expected performance boost, leading to a strategic decision to test the upgrades in Las Vegas.

In the recent Singapore race, Max Verstappen dominated, leaving Antonelli to finish on the podium after overtaking both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli acknowledged the team's progress, stating, "I feel like it was a very progressive weekend... We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and we're going to keep pushing on this package."

As Mercedes navigates this challenging season, Russell emphasizes the importance of maximizing the potential of their upgrades to regain competitiveness in the championship.