'Unsalvagable components' mean George Russell looking at an engine penalty later in the F1 season

George Russell could face grid penalties later in the season due to the damage that was caused to his power unit during the Australian Grand Prix.

It is reported that the internal damage could potentially trouble him after a point of time in the season.

According to a report from RacingNews365, Mercedes could be facing more issues than they already are later in the season despite hopes of development in the W14.

It has been mentioned that after the incident in Melbourne, the electronic components in the PU were saved but the mechanical components suffered 'unsalvageable' damage. This was due to the debris that went through the components of the car.

Because of this issue, George Russell might face more PU-related problems later in the season because the components have been damaged. A problem in any of the main parts of the power unit could emerge, forcing the Briton into either a race retirement and/or a grid penalty.

George Russell had a great start to the race from P2 and soon snatched the lead from Max Verstappen to take the lead of the race. After an unexpected safety car and a red flag, he was thrown down in the grid but soon recovered to P4.

However, after the 17th lap, fire emerged from his W14's exhaust and he was forced to retire from the race.

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When will George Russell be on the edge of a power unit-based penalty?

There is a limit of up to which a driver is allowed to change the power unit components in a season. They can use up to three each of the Motor Generator Units - Heat (MGU-H), Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K), Turbo Charger, and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

Since George Russell has already moved to their second allocation this season after the Australian Grand Prix and with the already damaged parts that were mentioned before, there are quite a few chances that soon enough, the Briton will have to make newer changes and will perhaps have to face a 10-place grid penalty. This could wipe the hopes that he is carrying for the rest of the season since he believes he can battle for victories later with upgrades in the W14.

Reliability has been quite an issue for the top teams this season, with Ferrari having to retire Charles Leclerc's car during the Bahrain GP, Max Verstappen facing issues during the qualifying of the Saudi Arabian GP, and finally George Russell's unfortunate failure at Australia.