By Sam Johnston in Sao Paulo

Last Updated: 11/13/22 8:35 PM Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player George Russell wins his first Formula 1 Grand Prix, holding off Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win in Sao Paulo. George Russell wins his first Formula 1 Grand Prix, holding off Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win in Sao Paulo. George Russell drove a Mercedes one-two from Lewis Hamilton at the Sao Paulo GP to take the first Grand Prix win of his Formula 1 career and his team’s first win of the season. Russell started from pole after taking the first Sprint win of his career on Saturday and never relinquished control of a dramatic race at Interlagos on Sunday, which featured two Safety Car breaks. On the restart after the first Safety Car on lap seven, Hamilton and world champion Max Verstappen collided, with the Red Bull driver suffering damage that forced him into the pits and a five-second penalty, before eventually fighting back to finish sixth . Hamilton dropped to eighth but recovered brilliantly to second, before a Safety Car following the retirement of Lando Norris brought him within striking distance as the race resumed with 11 laps to go. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collide at turn two after the race restarted after the first Safety Car.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collide at turn two after the race restarted after the first Safety Car. But Russell kept his cool to keep Hamilton out of DRS range in the closing stages and cap a brilliant debut season with the team in which the 24-year-old leads the seven-time world champion by 23 points heading into next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi. The victory also provides significant consolation for Mercedes in a season where Red Bull ended their eight-year constructors’ title streak and moves them to within 23 points of second-placed Ferrari ahead of the final race. Moments after the Hamilton-Verstappen incident, Norris and Charles Leclerc also collided, with the Ferrari driver fighting back from the back of the field to finish fourth, behind team-mate Carlos Sainz, who completed the podium . Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Max Verstappen refuses to let teammate Sergio Perez back in and is furious with Red Bull on team radio.
Max Verstappen refuses to let teammate Sergio Perez back in and is furious with Red Bull on team radio.
Verstappen, who sealed his second consecutive title in Japan last month with four races remaining, ignored the team’s last-lap order to allow Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez to help the Mexican in his battle with Leclerc for second among the drivers. championship. Perez had let Verstappen pass earlier and was promised his team-mate would return the favor if he could not gain further places, but finishing seventh leaves him level with Leclerc on 290 points going into the final race of the season. The failure in Norris’ car, which followed teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s first-lap retirement after a collision with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, capped a hugely disappointing day for McLaren as Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon finished fifth and eighth respectively to move Alpine. 19 points difference in the battle for fourth place in the constructors’ championship. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player George Russell maintains his lead off the grid before Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen crash to bring out the safety car in the opening round of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
George Russell maintains his lead off the grid before Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen crash to bring out the safety car in the opening round of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas came ninth for Alfa Romeo to seal a second consecutive points finish, while Sebastian Vettel took the final point for Aston Martin in the penultimate race of his career, before his retirement at the end of the season. More to come… Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Race Result 1) George Russell, Mercedes2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes3) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari 4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari5) Fernando Alonso, Alpin6) Max Verstappen, Red Bull7) Sergio Perez, Red Bull8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine9) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo10) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin