Source:REUTERS/Carla Carniel
[Saba Sports News] The F1 Brazilian Grand Prix concluded with Mercedes driver George Russell finishing fourth and missing out on a podium finish. This year’s Brazilian Grand Prix was a rain-affected race filled with surprises. Halfway through the race, heavy rain suddenly hit. Young driver Franco Colapinto, lacking experience in wet conditions, ultimately crashed, leading to a red flag suspension of the race. Russell was very upset about this because before the red flag came out, Mercedes’ track engineering director Andrew Shovlin used team orders to override his engineer’s suggestion for him to stay on track and ordered him to pit immediately for tires. Russell believes that during the race, drivers’ instincts should be trusted and respected because the rain was intensifying and track conditions were becoming unsuitable for racing; it was evident that a red flag or safety car would soon appear. Russell’s instincts proved correct; shortly after he pitted for tires, the race was interrupted by Colapinto’s crash, meaning drivers who did not pit would benefit and start ahead of him when the race resumed. In the end, those who did not pit ended up on the podium, highlighting a critical error in decision-making by the Mercedes team.