Hamilton could only manage a P7 finish in the sprint race on Saturday, even falling behind AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda before the chequered flag. Things got even worse for the seven-time world champion on Sunday as he dropped from third to eighth after the red flag restart.
Russell’s weekend was even more miserable than his team-mate’s. The 25-year-old became agitated while stuck behind Hamilton during the early stages of the race before his form tailed off dramatically. He slumped to the outskirts of the top ten before an engine cooling issue forced the Mercedes crew to box the No.63 car and retire.
Verstappen, meanwhile, exerted what is now his expected level of dominance, snatching pole position before beating Lando Norris to a routine sprint race win. The three-time world champion then controlled the Grand Prix masterfully, only missing out on the fastest lap as he claimed 33 points from a possible 34 available.
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Heading into the weekend at Interlagos, Mercedes’ combined total left them with a 120-point deficit to Verstappen with 147 points still on offer. However, the Silver Arrows mustered an underwhelming 11-point haul from their visit to Sao Paulo.
This tally means that with just a maximum of 88 points left on offer in the remaining two races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi and a 142-point gap from Verstappen back to the combined total of the two Mercedes drivers, it is now mathematically impossible for Hamilton and Russell to claw back the deficit.
This will add insult to injury for Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who was left furious following their miserable weekend in Brazil. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race he said: “Inexcusable performance. There’s even no words for that.
“That car finished second last week and the week before, and whatever we did to it was horrible. Lewis survived out there, but George, I can only feel for the two driving such a miserable thing.
“It shows how difficult the car is, it’s on a knife’s edge. You’ve got to develop that better for next year because it can’t be that within seven days you’re finishing on the podium, solid, with one of the two quickest cars, and then you’re nowhere and finishing eighth.”
