Oscar Piastri described a moment during the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix as “scary” after George Russell spun at the pit exit. The incident forced the McLaren driver to take evasive action on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
Russell, driving for Mercedes, lost control of his car on the downhill section of the pit exit after pitting for soft tyres.
This occurred on Lap 16 as the Interlagos track began to dry, prompting many drivers to switch from intermediate to slick tyres.
Russell had been running in third position before his pit stop.
His spin briefly blocked the pit exit, causing drivers such as Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, and Piastri to navigate around the stricken Mercedes.
Piastri stated, “He was stuck in the middle of the road, so it didn’t make things easy at all, but glad I could avoid him.”
The McLaren driver lost time during this manoeuvre, impacting his race.
Russell later admitted he had taken a “high risk” approach, seeing an opportunity to challenge for the win.
He also conceded he was unsure what precisely caused the spin.
The time lost, estimated at around 30 seconds, led Russell to pursue a one-stop strategy.
Ironically, this strategy proved beneficial when rain returned later in the race, allowing him to avoid an additional pit stop and ultimately finish fourth.
Russell had started the race from seventh on the grid due to a five-place penalty for an Internal Combustion Engine change.
Despite the incident, Piastri finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in sixth position, 56 seconds behind his teammate Lando Norris.
Norris secured victory for McLaren, with Max Verstappen taking second for Red Bull and Isack Hadjar completing the podium in third.
George Russell finished fourth, followed by Kimi Antonelli in fifth, who had also spun earlier in the race at Turn 1.
Liam Lawson was classified seventh, ahead of Charles Leclerc in eighth, who received a five-second penalty.
Lewis Hamilton finished ninth, and Nico Hulkenberg secured the final point in tenth.
The race at Autódromo José Carlos Pace was characterised by changing wet-to-dry-to-wet conditions.
Piastri noted that his pace was strong for the majority of the race after the initial ten laps.
He acknowledged the need to improve qualifying performance and certain strategic decisions.
Mercedes secured their ninth Constructors’ Championship at the São Paulo Grand Prix, despite neither Russell nor Antonelli reaching the podium.
Piastri’s focus remains on the Constructors’ Championship, aiming to surpass Red Bull.
McLaren currently sits fourth in the 2026 Constructors’ standings with 365 points.
Mercedes leads with 630 points, Ferrari is second with 504 points, and Red Bull is third with 368 points.
Piastri expressed optimism that the car’s performance step in Brazil would continue for the remaining three races of the season.
“I think the car took a step forward this weekend, so hopefully that keeps going for the last three races.”
