Russell Blames Mercedes Misjudgement for Lost São Paulo Pole

George Russell says he is "really disappointed" after a "misjudgement" by his Mercedes team cost him pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix. The frustration was clear in his comments. Russell did not point to his own lap as the problem. He put the blame on the team's decision, which he believes took him out of the top spot he had been fighting for.

Pole at Interlagos matters. Starting first gives a driver clean air into the opening corners and the best chance to control the race before strategy and tyre choices come into play. Losing that position to a team error, rather than to a faster rival, is the kind of setback that stings for a driver who has spent the weekend chasing every tenth of a second.

Russell did not go into detail about exactly what went wrong in the remarks reported so far. The word "misjudgement" suggests a call made on the pit wall rather than a technical failure, but the specifics have not been spelled out publicly in what is available here.

For Mercedes, the episode is a reminder of how little margin there is at the front of the grid. One decision can hand away a result, and the team will likely be asked to explain what happened and how it will avoid a repeat. Russell's public reaction suggests he expects those answers.