Russell has mixed feelings about Brazilian qualifying: It reminded me I haven’t forgotten how to drive

Statistically, George Russell would not have been credited with pole position even if he had beaten Lando Norris in qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. But topping qualifying would still have been worth its weight in gold after an immensely difficult season full of bad luck and struggles behind the wheel. He came close to pulling it off.

George Russell had mixed feelings after Saturday. On the one hand, he believes a poor decision by the team cost him first place, but on the other, being in contention at all was a major positive. In recent months, he has had to get used to counting his losses.

“I mean, I felt really, really great out there. You know, I felt I had more confidence in the wet than I had in the dry, which is quite unusual,” said George Russell. “It just sort of highlights the challenge I’ve been having with this car. But, you know, I just felt more like myself again out there, and the confidence. You needed so much commitment out there.”

The experienced Briton was not short of confidence despite a scare right at the start of qualifying. “On my first lap I was aquaplaning in fifth gear over 130 miles an hour. You know, and when you can’t actually see the road in front of you, it’s quite difficult to describe how that feels. Like, you’ve got no visual cue. It’s grey, it’s mist everywhere. You have the spray, and then you’re aquaplaning, wheel spinning in fifth gear at well over 100 miles an hour.”

Fortunately, he quickly shook it off and progressed to Q3. In the battle for pole position, it was crucial to strike immediately, with another band of heavy rain approaching the circuit. Nobody had time for more than two flying laps.

“Yeah, I mean, I think our pole was ours for the taking there, and just a misjudgment from us collectively as a team to abort my second lap because we thought we’d get another 60 seconds without the rain. Unfortunately, we got that wrong,” lamented Russell. “That was a pole lap, I think. I got a bit held up from Albon, but it still would have been good enough for the pole.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff saw things slightly differently. After qualifying, he said Russell would not actually have taken pole position and would have finished second anyway. Either way, it would be better for Russell’s confidence if he did not remind him of that.

“It gives me the confidence. It reminds me again that I’ve not forgotten how to drive,” said Russell of his bid for top spot. “It would have meant a lot to me to have clinched the pole with a great performance like we showed in qualifying.”

“But yeah, I think it kind of sums up this season, and as a team, we’ve got one goal this weekend of us to seal the constructors. So, yeah, the season is just very much not meant to be,” he added.

To seal the constructors’ championship in Sao Paulo, Mercedes need to outscore Ferrari by three points. That may not be a problem given the penalties for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.