Mercedes has confirmed it has launched an immediate investigation into the balance issues that both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli complained about during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The team clinched the Constructors' Championship at Interlagos, with Russell finishing fourth ahead of Antonelli in fifth, but both drivers could have finished higher had they not spun in tricky conditions.
Spins and tyre concerns
Russell found himself facing the wrong way at the pitlane exit on lap 14, while Antonelli went off the track at Turn 1 on lap 17, with the Italian admitting he had no idea he was going to lose control. More rain towards the end of the race gave the pair hope they could reclaim a podium spot, but the intermediate tyre left both drivers struggling as they failed to challenge Isack Hadjar for third.
Toto Wolff said: "Both reported a very, very strange behaviour of the car, like something's broken on the suspension or too much pressure in the tyres."
Wolff's assessment
Wolff added: "And whilst it was not only them, because Max [Verstappen] said the same thing, I believe that we've gotten something wrong on pressures or on the set-up because also now looking at the cars, the rear tyres are completely worn. The fronts are like new, so there's something which we haven't spotted."
He continued: "But then at times in the race we were absolutely flying. So we are walking away with an interesting exercise to find out what it was, but with a positive mindset after winning the Constructors' Championship."
Russell's theory
Russell offered one possible explanation for the drop in competitiveness in the final stint. He said: "We really don't know. I was quite excited when the rain was coming, but then Kimi and I had absolutely no pace. So we need to understand why that was."
He added: "There's maybe a small theory because we were the first onto the inter that even just on that out lap on the driest track, you damage the tyres and the temps go up and you're in this negative spiral. As of now, that's the only explanation."
