Toto Wolff has stated it was unlikely George Russell would have taken the fastest lap in Q3 after the Mercedes driver voiced his anger over team radio at the end of the session.
Russell was heard venting his fury when heavy rainfall arrived late in the session, just after he was told to back off his previous lap as he was closing in on the back of Alex Albon.
The Mercedes driver was adamant that it would have put him in front of Lando Norris in the final classification, with the latter securing his third pole in three years at Interlagos.
However, Wolff was unconvinced that Russell would have been able to set a time to beat Norris as he got ever nearer to Albon.
"If we were to have a crystal ball to know whether you should back off or not, that would be helpful," he told Sky F1.
"It was a difficult one, a 50-50 call. He was running into Albon.
"He was 18 milliseconds up on Norris at that stage. I don't think it would have been enough for pole, but he drove perfectly all session and merited to be on pole."
Had Russell ended Q3 with the fastest lap time, he would not have been credited with pole position, as he takes a five-place grid penalty into Sunday's race.
He is now set to start from seventh, but Wolff insisted the Briton was the star performer from the session.
"He deserved it, but you can't make that call," he said. "It's 50 per cent right or wrong.
"George was in a league of his own today."
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