George Russell finishes fourth at Sao Paulo as Mercedes wins Constructors title
George Russell recovered from a grid drop and a spin to finish fourth at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, helping Mercedes secure the Constructors Championship. His teammate Kimi Antonelli claimed the Drivers title while Russell praised the team's perfect race strategy despite late tyre issues.
George Russell finished fourth at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a result that helped Mercedes secure the Constructors’ Championship while his teammate Kimi Antonelli claimed the Drivers’ title. The British driver started from seventh place due to a five-place grid drop for an engine change but recovered to fourth before entering the pits on Lap 16. As the damp track dried, Hamilton and Sainz switched to red-marked softs on Lap 15, prompting the rest of the field to follow suit on the next lap. Russell exited the pit lane on slicks but lost control, spinning without completing a full 360 degrees because he lacked boost. Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and Oscar Piastri filtered past the stationary car, dropping Russell to eighth place after losing roughly 30 seconds.
A High-Risk Call That Backfired
Russell admitted he was unsure what caused the spin, noting that he went "quite high risk" because he smelled an opportunity in the crossover period. He described the moment as one where drivers either gain a lot or lose a lot, and this time it went against them. Ironically, the time lost prevented him from pitting a second time for fresh dry tyres when the rain returned later in the race. This unexpected strategy shift allowed him to maintain position and finish ahead of several rivals who made different calls. Russell praised the team for their perfect execution in switching back to intermediates on Lap 61, contrasting it with their qualifying error where they felt forced to abort a lap good enough for pole. He stated that the team called the race perfectly while other drivers got it wrong, a dynamic often highlighted more when it goes wrong than right.
The final stint revealed significant issues with both Mercedes cars, as neither Russell nor Antonelli had pace despite being first onto the intermediate tyres. Russell speculated that running on the driest track may have damaged the tyres and escalated temperatures into a negative spiral, though the team does not know the exact cause. He complained about potential problems with his car but could not identify the specific fault. Despite these struggles, Russell noted that he showed the fastest race pace on the soft tyre, a performance level he has not achieved in quite some time. He expressed relief at feeling "a bit more like myself again" after recent races where Antonelli outperformed him, including the Mexico Grand Prix win. Looking ahead to Las Vegas, Russell anticipates strong form on a track where he has historically done well, focusing on the pure pace displayed in Brazil rather than the chaotic end of the race.
