George Russell explains “miscommunication” behind Brazil GP qualifying radio rage

George Russell has explained the “miscommunication” that prompted his furious team radio messages during Formula 1 qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. 

The 28-year-old Briton ended up second-fastest in a heavily-delayed and rain-affected qualifying at Interlagos, having been beaten to pole position by McLaren’s Lando Norris. 

Russell raged at Mercedes over team radio after he was told to back off from his last flying lap when he caught Alex Albon’s Willians ahead of him on track. 

It was effectively irrelevant given that Russell has a five-place grid penalty for changing his engine that will see him start Sunday’s race from seventh. 

“I think it was just a bit of miscommunication. I need to speak with the team because we believed we'd get another lap before the rain came in,” Russell explained in the post-qualifying press conference. 

“I was on a really strong lap and I was asked to back off because I caught Albon, and then obviously the rain came. So yeah, it was very disappointing. Need to understand how it happened why we got that wrong. 

“I felt very strong the whole, the whole session. I had more confidence in the wet than I had in the dry. But yeah definitely felt pole was there for the taking.” 

Asked if he was tempted to overrule Mercedes, Russell said:“They've got the weather forecast in front of them, and I don't. This is where you need that trust and you're relying on one another. 

"Obviously it was the wrong decision and it was a decision that I think as soon as it was made, I think we knew it was the wrong one because already we could actually feel the rain pouring harder. 

“So we need to understand… We’re relying on a lot of systems. We can't point the finger at somebody, we need to understand why did we make that decision and were our systems telling us what we needed to know as you rely on the radar. 

“But it doesn't make it any less frustrating for me. It's not my engineer's fault. He’s relaying information. He's ultimately the one who passes the message on, but he's got 12 people talking to him, giving him that information to relay on. 

"So we just need to understand why we made that decision.” 

Russell added: “When you're a driver, you're the one who feels it the most. We’ve got to remember, we collectively made a misjudgment today, and there's members of my team who are going to be feeling as bad as I am currently. 

“It's important to remember that, and we need to just keep the morale high. It was a very solid performance, and I guess we take the positive from that. There's no points for pole, it would have just been a nice little one to add to the tally.” 

Addressing Russell’s angry team radio messages, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1: "If we were to have a crystal ball to know whether you should back off or not, that would be helpful. 

"It was a difficult one, a 50:50 call. He was running into Albon. He was 18 milliseconds up on Norris at that stage. I don't think it would have been enough for pole, but he drove perfectly all session and merited to be on pole.

"He deserved it, but you can't make that call. It's 50% right or wrong. George was in a league of his own today."

Russell’s radio fury in full 

George Russell: "Move, Albono!"
Mercedes: “So, we will get one more lap here.”
Russell: “You need to tell me mate what I’m doing, if I’m backing or going.”
Mercedes: “We can back up now, back up now.”
Russell: “Are you sure?”
Mercedes: “It’s raining heavier now.”
Mercedes: “It’s raining heavily now in the pitlane.”
Russell: “Mate I should have f***ing finished the lap!”
Russell: “MATE! You f***ing told me to back off. What the hell!”
Toto Wolff: “George you’re P2"
Russell: “Yeah but…P2. I don’t wanna be P2, I want to be P1. That was a P1 lap. F******ing hell!”