News Summary
- George Russell said he aquaplaned in fifth gear at more than 130mph on his first lap in São Paulo qualifying.
- The Mercedes driver qualified second, 0.204s behind Lando Norris, and said he had felt capable of taking pole.
- Russell’s five-place engine penalty puts him seventh on Sunday’s grid. Andrea Kimi Antonelli moves up to the front row.
George Russell could barely see the track when his Mercedes began aquaplaning in fifth gear at more than 130mph (209km/h). Yet he came away from qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix feeling more at home in the car than he had in dry conditions. He qualified second, just 0.204s behind Lando Norris.
“I felt I had more confidence in the wet than I had in the dry, which is quite unusual, and it just sort of highlights the challenge I’ve been having with this car,” Russell told Craig Slater on Sky Sports F1. “I just felt more like myself again out there.”
Russell described a grey track ahead, mist and spray obscuring his view, and wheelspin in fifth gear. “When you can’t actually see the road in front of you, it’s quite difficult to describe how that feels.”
Russell felt he had the pace to beat Norris
Russell said Baku was the last time he could remember going out and finding himself at or near the top of the timesheets lap after lap. He saw Norris as the only other driver consistently matching that pace at Interlagos. “I very much felt I had, I had the legs,” he said.
Russell was fastest in Q2 with a 1:26.745 and briefly held provisional pole in Q3 with a 1:27.674. Norris beat him with a 1:27.470. Mercedes then asked Russell to back off on a later attempt because Alex Albon was ahead. The rain returned before he could improve.
An engine penalty turns second in qualifying into seventh on the grid
Russell had said on Friday that his long-run pace felt stronger than his single-lap pace. Saturday’s qualifying put him on the front row on pace, but his five-place penalty for an engine change means he starts seventh. Pole would have put him sixth. His teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set to start alongside Norris.
“Could have been P6, could have been P6, now we’re P7,” Russell said. “Yeah, I’ve calmed down a little bit.”
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the São Paulo Grand Prix in Formula 1 live from Interlagos.
FAQ
How fast was George Russell going when he aquaplaned?
Russell said he was in fifth gear at more than 130mph, about 209km/h, on his first lap.
How close was Russell to pole in São Paulo?
His 1:27.674 was 0.204s slower than Lando Norris’s pole lap.
Why does Russell start seventh after qualifying second?
He has a five-place grid penalty after Mercedes fitted an internal combustion engine beyond his season allocation.
