Mercedes driver George Russell has proposed a major change to the Formula 1 weekend format following a turbulent Brazilian Grand Prix.
Russell finished in fourth place at Interlagos, narrowly missing out on a podium after leading the race for the first 28 laps.
Russell’s race was compromised when a poorly-timed red flag allowed Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon, and Pierre Gasly to gain a free pit stop advantage over him and second-placed Lando Norris.
Both British drivers had already pitted, leaving Russell frustrated by the unfortunate timing, as he vented over team radio.
The red flag during the race was just one of six interruptions on Sunday, with five of them occurring during a rare Sunday morning qualifying session.
This session was postponed due to unpredictable weather in São Paulo.
Due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, the original Saturday afternoon qualifying session was delayed until Sunday morning, making for an exceptionally busy day for drivers and teams with both key sessions of the weekend taking place just hours apart.
Despite the hectic schedule, Russell appeared to enjoy the adjusted format, even hinting that F1 should consider a similar structure in the future.
The Brit qualified in second place amid the chaotic session, and later capitalized on a poor start from Norris to take the lead.
“I loved it to be honest, reminded me of the karting days, waking up having breakfast in your race suit and just going out there and driving,” Russell remarked in his post-qualifying interview.
In a playful mood, the 26-year-old added, “Maybe the guys should have a bit of a think about the format moving forward, maybe this is the one you know, qualifying Sunday morning.”
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