Russell plays down Verstappen chase as Wolff wants him to finish second

Russell finished fourth at the Brazilian Grand Prix, recovering from a spin at the pit exit following his first stop. The Briton also benefited from team orders, with Kimi Antonelli instructed to let him through during the race.

Mercedes secured their first Constructors' Championship since 2021, but Russell lost further ground to Verstappen in the individual standings. The Red Bull driver produced a remarkable recovery from 21st on the grid to finish second, extending his advantage over Russell to 17 points.

Despite missing out on the podium in São Paulo, Russell expressed satisfaction with his driving throughout the weekend, suggesting that his personal performance was more important than the final result.

The Mercedes driver was particularly encouraged by his qualifying performance and his pace on the soft tyres during the race, although he acknowledged that his mistake at the pit exit proved costly.

Russell also demonstrated his determination to extract the maximum from his car during qualifying, when he expressed frustration after being instructed to abandon his final flying lap.

"I don't want to be P2, I want to be P1 and that was a P1 lap," he told the team over the radio after Wolff informed him that he had secured second place.

Russell's priorities appear to differ from those of his team principal, who has made no secret of his desire to see the Briton finish ahead of Verstappen in the championship.

Speaking after the race, Wolff confirmed that Mercedes "absolutely" want Russell to secure second place in the Drivers' Championship. The Austrian also suggested that the team could consider favouring Russell over Antonelli during the remaining races to maximise his chances of overtaking Verstappen.

Such an approach would not be entirely new, with Mercedes already asking Antonelli to surrender a position to his teammate during the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Russell, however, has repeatedly played down the importance of his individual championship position. Following a difficult United States Grand Prix, the Briton stressed that winning the Constructors' Championship remained the team's main objective: "As long as we win the constructors' championship, that's the main thing."

With Mercedes now having secured that title, the focus could shift towards helping Russell claim second place in the individual standings.

Verstappen's recent form has made Russell's task increasingly difficult. The Dutchman currently sits second in the Drivers' Championship with 279 points, while Russell has 262. Lewis Hamilton remains firmly involved in the battle, just one point behind the Mercedes driver on 261.

Verstappen won three of the four Grands Prix preceding Brazil, while Russell collected just 14 points across the same period. The Red Bull driver's recovery in Sao Paulo further strengthened his position, although Russell's encouraging pace throughout the weekend could provide Mercedes with some optimism heading into the final races.