George Russell recovered to fourth in Sao Paulo as Mercedes won constructors’ title
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 9, 2026
Mercedes title win
Mercedes left Sao Paulo with the Constructors’ Championship, its first since 2021, and Russell called the victory “an incredible achievement” after “four tough years.” Russell’s comments framed the weekend around the bigger picture, while the title gave the team a significant achievement to celebrate.
Russell recovery drive
Russell turned a difficult Sao Paulo Grand Prix into a fourth-place finish after a spin on slick tires dropped him from a possible fourth to eighth. He started seventh after a five-place grid penalty for an ICE change, then worked his way into the race before the weather complicated everything again. Russell spun as he exited the pits after switching to slick tires in wet conditions, a costly mistake that threatened to undo his progress. Kimi Antonelli also let Russell through during the race, and Mercedes made a timely call when the rain returned on lap 61 by switching him to intermediate tires. Russell praised the team for that decision, and the move helped him recover to fourth. Even with the spin, he said the strongest part of his Sao Paulo run was his pace and that he was more pleased with it than with the result.
Wolff support and standings
Russell’s weekend also had a direct effect on the drivers’ championship picture, and Toto Wolff made clear the team wants him to score as many points as possible. Wolff said Mercedes will look at how best to support Russell as he tries to overtake Max Verstappen. Russell stayed third after the race, 17 points behind Verstappen and one point ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The broader context stretches back to qualifying, where Mercedes told Russell to back off on his final Q3 lap after he caught Alex Albon and the rain intensified. Russell still finished second in qualifying, just two-tenths of a second behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, and Wolff later defended the call.
