Mercedes driver George Russell was explicitly warned about wet conditions at the pit exit moments before his spin during the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix. Untelevised team radio communications from the Interlagos event reveal race engineer Marcus Dudley instructed Russell to exercise caution.
Dudley’s instructions included, “Press and hold boost on exit. It’ll be caution on pit exit, that will still be wet. Will be wet on pit exit. Enable blue magic.” Russell subsequently spun his Mercedes W17 as he accelerated from the downhill left-hand turn at the pit exit on Lap 16.
The incident occurred after Russell had pitted to switch from intermediate tyres to softs on a drying track. He had recovered from a seventh-place grid start, due to a five-place engine change penalty, to third position before the pit stop.
The spin resulted in Russell losing multiple positions and briefly glancing the barrier. He ultimately finished the race in fourth place. McLaren’s Lando Norris secured his third victory of the 2026 F1 season at the event.
Russell acknowledged after the race that he adopted a high-risk approach at the pit exit, aiming to gain time on rivals. He stated, “I went quite high risk because I smelt an opportunity and paid the price.”
The Interlagos pit exit is known for its challenging nature, with the downhill, left-hand turn often retaining moisture longer than other track sections after rain. This characteristic can make it particularly treacherous during changing weather conditions.
Both Russell and his Mercedes teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, experienced significant balance issues with their W17 cars throughout the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. Antonelli, who is confirmed as Russell’s teammate for the 2026 season, also spun during the race.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff indicated that the team would investigate the root cause of these balance problems. Initial analysis suggested issues related to tyre pressures or car setup, which led to low tyre temperatures and oversteer, making the W17 difficult to drive.
The team’s trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, confirmed that both drivers reported unusual car behaviour, particularly after switching to slick tyres. Antonelli described unexpected rear-end instability, especially in high-speed left-hand corners.
The incident at Interlagos followed a frustrating qualifying session for Russell, where he was told to abort a potential pole lap in Q3. Race engineer Marcus Dudley advised him to back off due to traffic, a decision Russell later described as a “misjudgement” by the team.
Russell’s frustration was evident, leading to a heated radio exchange with Dudley and Team Principal Toto Wolff. He subsequently walked out of a post-qualifying press conference.
Despite the individual challenges, Mercedes secured the 2026 Constructors’ Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix, marking their ninth title. Russell’s fourth-place finish and Antonelli’s fifth-place finish contributed to the points needed for the championship.
Russell has achieved three Grand Prix victories in the 2026 season, at the Australian, Austrian, and Azerbaijan Grands Prix. He currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship standings with 262 points.
