Russell says Mercedes call cost him a shot at São Paulo pole

George Russell believes a Mercedes instruction to back off during his final qualifying run cost him a chance at pole in the rain-hit São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos. Team principal Toto Wolff called the split-second decision 50-50 and doubted the lap would have been quick enough to beat Lando Norris.

Russell's first Q3 run on intermediates put him four tenths clear of Norris's initial benchmark as conditions worsened. After setting the provisional best time, his race engineer Marcus Dudley urged him to continue for another lap. Russell caught Alex Albon in the second sector and asked over the radio whether to push on or back off; the answer was to back off. Norris then took two tenths from Russell's benchmark on his second timed lap to claim pole.

Russell described the exchange as a miscommunication: Mercedes had expected another lap before the rain arrived, he said, and he was on a strong lap when told to back off after catching Albon. He believed the decision was wrong as the rain was already getting heavier. Russell said Dudley was not at fault; his engineer was relaying information from 12 people, he said, and Mercedes needed to understand how the decision was made and whether its systems had supplied the information it needed.

Wolff gave a different assessment to Sky Sports. He said conditions at Turn 12 had worsened markedly compared with Norris's passage moments earlier. Russell was 18 milliseconds ahead of Norris as he caught Albon, Wolff said, but he did not believe that margin was enough for pole. He also said Russell had driven perfectly throughout the sessions and deserved pole.

A five-place grid penalty for an engine swap means Russell, who qualified second, is due to start seventh; even a pole position would not have put him on the front row. He said he hoped Sunday's race would be wet, when he felt his chances were better.