Jolyon Palmer thinks George Russell will be ‘hurt personally’ after what happened at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

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The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was another frustrating weekend for Mercedes as they witnessed what could have been their best chance of earning one more victory this season wash away in the torrential Brazilian rain.

Lewis Hamilton had a weekend to forget after squeezing into the points in Sunday’s Grand Prix and admitting he would have rather driven Ayrton Senna’s McLaren than his 2024 Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion only has three race weekends with the Silver Arrows before he makes his long-anticipated move to Ferrari.

Hamilton leaving the team means George Russell will lead the team for the first time in 2025, alongside highly-rated youngster Kimi Antonelli.

Russell has outperformed Hamilton in qualifying throughout the season and overtook him in the Drivers’ Championship after finishing fourth a the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

However, the result could have been so much better for the 26-year-old on Sunday.

Speaking on the Chequered Flag Podcast, former driver Jolyon Palmer shared his thoughts on Russell’s race.

Missing out on the podium would have been very frustrating for Russell, particularly as he was leading the race ahead of Lando Norris before Mercedes decided to bring him into the pits.

Russell was furious with the team for forcing him to come in as he was convinced that the red flag that eventually came out for Franco Colapinto’s crash was just moments away.

Jolyon Palmer shares ‘gutting’ George Russell verdict at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Talking about Russell’s display, Palmer said: “I think Russell had a tremendous drive and will be gutted.

“The worst thing as a driver is when you’re winning a race and you’re calling the right strategy and you’re overruled to lose it. That’s gutting.

“Russell is a clever driver, he thinks a lot through in the car, and that’ll hurt personally because Mercedes are not getting many chances to win races at the moment.

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“When you’ve got so many big guns out of contention, you’ve got Russell vs. Norris, and then a group of Tsunoda, Lawson and Ocon lining up on the grid behind you, it should be a two-horse race.

“And whilst Norris will be disappointed, I think Russell as well has missed a big opportunity.

“And when you call it right from the cockpit, you’re reading the race and driving at such a high level when there’s so much jeopardy in play. It’s a tough one to stomach.”

George Russell left ‘shocked’ by FIA decision during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Russell was very unlucky to lose out to the red flag when he did and would have been leading at the restart if he had stayed out.

Whether he would have won the race is another matter as Verstappen would have still cleared Norris and was in incredible form.

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Russell was shocked by a decision the FIA made during the race which also left him frustrated.

Mercedes are in a precarious position, a level below the top three manufacturers but clear of the rest of the field.

Hamilton was incredibly unhappy with the car and wasn’t able to extract the same performance out of the F1 W15 at this stage.

Russell will take confidence from the fact he has an advantage over the seven-time world champion right now, but all eyes are on the steps forward Mercedes can take for 2025.