Martin Brundle has branded Mercedes downfall as “painful to watch”
during the São Paulo Grand Prix. Both Lewis Hamilton and George
Russell had dropped back after suffering from poor tyre
degradation, with the latter eventually retiring due to high engine
oil temperatures. It was a race that Team Principal Toto Wolff
called “inexcusable” adding that the W14 does not “deserve to win a
race” following a tough season for the team, with Hamilton only
eighth at the flag. The team vowed that it would get to the bottom
of what caused its lack of pace, with it coming a week on from its
solid podium in Mexico City through Hamilton. “It wasn’t a classic
race by any means,” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column.
“Both Mercedes of Hamilton and Russell continued their poor race
pace of Saturday, but for three times as long and it was painful to
watch. “They eventually retired Russell, and Hamilton grabbed a few
points in eighth place.” Brundle: Alonso ‘frustrating’ Perez One of
the highlights of the race was the battle between Fernando Alonso
and Sergio Perez, with the Aston Martin driver making a last-lap
move stick on the Mexican. What followed was a drag race coming out
of Juncao corner, with Alonso managing to pip Perez to the line by
0.054s in a dramatic photo finish. “Perez had already shown his
rejuvenated talents on a number of occasions with some deft
out-braking manoeuvres while recovering from a poor-ish grid slot,
and then homed in on Alonso for the final podium spot,” wrote
Brundle. “I thoroughly enjoyed watching this battle of high-speed
tactics. “Alonso was using and placing his car well to frustrate
Perez behind him, in what looked like a much faster car.”
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