Russell fumes at missed chance at Sao Paulo pole despite grid penalty

George Russell was left frustrated by another missed opportunity as he failed to set the fastest time in qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix due to a strategic call from Mercedes.

A power unit penalty that sees Russell drop five places on the grid ensured he would not start from pole position even if he was quickest in qualifying, but the Mercedes driver – who took his first win at Interlagos in 2022 – was fighting Lando Norris for the fastest time when he was advised to back off a lap in Q3. That was due to traffic, but as rain intensified, Russell didn’t get a chance to try and improve on his existing lap and ended up second overall, dropping to seventh on the grid.

“I think it was just a bit of miscommunication,” Russell said. “I need to speak with the team because we believed we'd get another lap before the rain came in. I was on a really strong lap and I was asked to back off because I caught up with Albon, and then obviously the rain came. So yeah, it was very disappointing.

“Need to understand how it happened and why we got that wrong, but I felt very strong the whole session. I had more confidence in the wet than I had in the dry. Definitely felt pole was there for the taking.”

Russell had been vocal on team radio, criticizing the team for not telling him to finish the lap, but says he doesn’t blame any one person for making the decision.

“They've got the weather forecast in front of them and I don't. And this is where you need that trust, and you're relying on one another. Obviously, it was the wrong decision, and it was a decision that I think as soon as it was made, I think we knew it was the wrong one because already, they could actually feel the rain pouring harder.

“So, we need to understand … we’re relying on a lot of systems, and we can't point the finger at somebody. We need to understand why we made that decision and whether our systems were telling us what we needed to know, because you're relying on the radar.

“But it doesn't make it any less frustrating for me, and it's not my engineer's fault. He's relaying information. He's ultimately the one who passes the message on, but he's got 12 people talking to him, giving him that information to relay. So, we just need to understand why we made that decision.”

Having shown such strong pace in wet conditions, Russell says he hopes for similar weather to increase his chances of fighting for victory from P7, even if that also comes with an increased level of risk.

“I felt really confident in the rain. I think my pace, along with Lando's, was by far the best out there. I'm not sure who the drivers are going to be between Kimi and myself. We don't have the normal suspects there, so that may make it slightly easier. But in the rain here, it's always a challenge.

“I hope it is wet tomorrow. I feel I've got a greater chance if it's wet. But Lando and I had a race here two years ago when we were one and two, and unfortunate timing of the VSC, and we were off the podium.”