George Russell Penalized for Pit Lane Exit Violation in Sao Paulo GP, Lando Norris and Toto Wolff Disappointed in Qualifying Performance

Russell lands 8th on grid after failing to follow race director's instructions in the pit exit; Norris laments missed pole opportunity amid deteriorating weather conditions in Q3; Mercedes' Toto Wolff admits failure to adjust to changing conditions cost potential pole position.

• George Russell has been penalized for impeding the pit lane exit during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix qualifying session and will consequently start from eighth on the grid, after being issued a two-place grid penalty for failing to follow the instructions laid out by the race director.
• Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly similarly received two-place grid penalties for the same infringement, shuffling them to 14th and 15th places respectively on the grid.
• Lando Norris expressed disappointment over McLaren's missed opportunity for pole position as deteriorating weather conditions during Q3 hampered their performance, despite the car showing strong pace in practice and opening qualifying segments.
• Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admitted to the team's failure to effectively adapt to the swiftly changing weather, ultimately resulting in Lewis Hamilton and George Russell qualifying in fifth and sixth respectively, behind Max Verstappen on pole and the two Aston Martins.
• Wolff accepted that both their drivers could have performed better had they not stuck to routine tyre preparation, and instead started their flying laps sooner to capitalize before weather conditions worsened further.

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