Mercedes face 'interesting exercise' after Toto Wolff identifies 'something wrong'

Toto Wolff has conceded Mercedes may have got "something wrong" with its cars at the São Paulo Grand Prix after both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli complained of unusual handling during a chaotic race.

The pair finished fourth and fifth respectively in the 71-lap contest at Interlagos, securing Mercedes' ninth Formula 1 constructors' championship, and its first since 2021, despite struggling with the balance of their W17s.

Russell lost significant time when he spun at the pit-lane exit after changing from intermediate to slick tyres, briefly brushing the wall as he tried to recover. The mistake sent him tumbling down the order to P10 before he fought back to fourth.

Antonelli, meanwhile, led the opening stages but reported that something felt wrong with the car and suspected a suspension problem. He subsequently spun at Turn 1, surrendering the lead to Lando Norris, and later lost further positions, finishing fifth.

Mercedes could not immediately identify the cause of the unpredictable behaviour, although Wolff suspected the team's tyre pressures or set-up may have contributed.

"I think both have been given a very tricky car at times; George is not someone who spins in the pit lane on the exit, and Kimi is the same," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.

"Both reported a very, very strange behaviour of the car, like something's broken on the suspension or too much pressure in the tyres.

"And whilst it was not only them, because Max said the same thing, I believe that we've gotten something wrong on the pressures or on the setup because now, looking at the cars, the rear tyres are also completely, completely worn — the fronts are like new, so there's something which we haven't spotted."

The Austrian nevertheless stressed that Mercedes had shown strong pace at certain points, leaving the team to investigate the inconsistency even as it celebrated clinching the title with three rounds remaining.

"But then at times in the race we were absolutely flying," the Mercedes team principal added.

"So we are walking away with an interesting exercise to find out what it was, but with a positive mindset after winning the constructors' championship."