Debut grand prix win for George Russell as Mercedes fires 2023 F1 warning shot

George Russell celebrates winning the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

A tearful George Russell took a merited first F1 win in the Brazilian Grand Prix, in a demonstration that Mercedes intends to be back in the title hunt in 2023.

The team was back on top of the podium for the first time in 2022 after a torrid season where the team has consistently been behind Ferrari and Red Bull under the new technical regulations.

Lewis Hamilton finished second, despite contact with Max Verstappen, to complete a 1-2 for the Silver Arrows, which have looked increasingly competitive since an aerodynamic update at the US Grand Prix.

“If we’re close on pace now, that’s more encouragement for next season”

“It’s been a long journey over the course of the year,” said Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director. “To get both cars up there is fantastic. We’re absolutely delighted.

“I think in terms of our plan, we’re a bit ahead of where we thought we’d be in terms of car performance.

“If we’re close on pace now, that’s more encouragement for next season. We’re only here to win. We’re only here to fight for championships.

After winning yesterday’s sprint race, Russell started the Brazilian Grand Prix on pole, alongside Lewis Hamilton and there was initially no breaching the silver wall.

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Hamilton and Verstappen make contact in battle for second

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But a safety car, caused by a collision between Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen, gave Verstappen a prime chance to attack at the restart.

This year’s world champion pulled alongside Hamilton on the outside of Turn 1, then had the inside line for Turn 2, but Hamilton pulled slightly ahead and turned into the apex.

The resulting crunch destroyed part of Verstappen’s front wing and sent him limping to the pits. Hamilton was pushed off the track and rejoined in sixth.

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The honorary Brazilian citizen fought back and looked likely to finish second behind Russell in the final stages of the race when Lando Norris pulled to a halt and triggered another safety car.

It allowed Hamilton to pull up to Russell, who asked over the radio, whether the drivers should hold station to secure the result. “You are racing,” came the reply. “Just keep respectful,” as Hamilton loomed large in his mirrors.

“Lewis was super fast,” said Russell. “I thought it was going to be a really difficult end with the pressure.” But he didn’t give Hamilton a chance to attack and crossed the line for the win.

After getting out of his car, he sat down in tears as he came to terms with the result. “What an amazing feeling, a huge thank you to the team for making this possible,” he said. “It has been a rollercoaster season.

“On the in-lap all of these memories came flooding back – starting out with my mum and dad in go-karting, all the support I’ve had from friends and family and my girlfriend.”

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Tearful Russell takes a moment for his debut F1 win to sink in

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More significant than the debut win, though, is the performance of the Mercedes. The Austin update was brought with 2023 in mind, the team hoping to feed its learning from the new parts into next year’s car.

“We haven’t changed anything,” said Shovlin, speaking to Sky Sports. “It’s the exact same car we had last week and that we had in Austin. It’s been working really well.

“It was a long road we had to walk with development and understanding the problems. We did kind of write this season off when we realised how far behind we were.

“The focus was always the learning, to understand the problem and make sure we could develop for next year.”