P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes led almost the entire first half of the Brazilian Grand Prix before losing out due to a red flag call.
Mercedes has acknowledged the strategic error of pitting George Russell shortly before a red flag was introduced at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Despite Russell leading the race for the first 28 laps, a pit stop decision under virtual safety car conditions led to a loss of positions. The teams ahead, including Max Verstappen and the Alpine drivers, benefitted from free stops when the race was halted due to the red flag. Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, admitted the difficulty of quickly assessing the changing situation and the missed opportunity to keep Russell out on track. The team does not usually anticipate red flags in their race strategy, and the decision to pit Russell was based on typical pit strategies and unforeseen crash incidents. Ultimately, the gamble of staying out worked for some teams, positioning them advantageously after the race restart.
