George Russell has now become a Formula 1 race winner after racing to the finish line first at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which held over the weekend. Russell, who joined Mercedes this season, was a second faster than his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who settled for second place. The win was not just the first for Russell but also Mercedes first win of the season, with both of their drivers making it to the podium. 

Some weeks ago, Hamilton expressed doubt that his team could earn a win just before the end of the season. Mercedes had troubles earlier this season, but as the races progressed, they made some improvement, but their best finish before Sunday was second place, which both drivers have finished with at different times. 

For Russell, it was a fantastic weekend, which began with a Sprint victory on Saturday. Finishing first automatically earned him pole position for Sunday’s race, an advantage he did not misuse. Russell kept his nerves calm as he raced ahead of everyone else, including his teammate. Hamilton, who dropped to eighth in the race after colliding with Verstappen, managed to fight to the front of the race, but he could not get past Russell. 

Speaking after the face, Russell expressed his joy at finally winning a race after a particularly challenging season, as he said that the win was something he had dreamt over so many times. He said: “I was pretty impressed how quickly I started crying. It was literally, by the time I got to Turn Two, tears were flooding.

“It’s just been such an emotional roller coaster and journey for all of us.”

Russell and Hamilton are now ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, on the drivers standing. Verstappen, who finished sixth on Sunday, heads the leaderboard, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc following behind. 

Sergio Perez and his teammate Verstappen were involved in a bit of drama on Sunday after Verstappen refused the team’s order to let Perez pass through, even though Perez had given him way earlier in the face. Verstappen has also refused to comment on why he refused the team’s order, although Red Bull said that things have been patched up already. 

Leon Osamor