Russell raced with used Mercedes parts after his sprint crash

George Russell had to race with previously used Mercedes parts after crashing in the Singapore Grand Prix sprint. Saturday’s accident exhausted the team’s supply of fresh carbon fibre, so Mercedes had to repair the car using second-hand components.

The 2026 weekend was already proving difficult for Russell: a 60-place engine penalty had been reported, and he had also struggled with a brake pedal that had gone soft. He spent two hours in the cockpit, where a ruptured drink bottle spilled fluid over him.

Mechanics brought the damaged Mercedes W17 back to the garage on Saturday night, and the repairs were substantial. For Sunday, the team sent Russell out in a car assembled with previously used parts. The components fitted to his chassis nevertheless matched the aerodynamic specification of the fresh ones.

Russell finished ninth. Toto Wolff described the result as “damage limitation” — a phrase that takes on particular significance in light of the difficulties Russell faced over the weekend.