George Russell led a one-two from Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton on the Sao Paulo GP to assert the primary Grand Prix victory of his F1 profession; the win can be Mercedes’ first of the season; Max Verstappen finishes sixth after colliding with Hamilton in early phases

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George Russell wins his first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix holding off Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win in Sao Paulo.

George Russell led a Mercedes one-two from Lewis Hamilton on the Sao Paulo GP to assert the primary Grand Prix win of his Formula 1 profession and his crew’s first victory of the season.

Russell began from first after claiming the primary Sprint victory of his profession on Saturday, and by no means relinquished management of a dramatic contest at Interlagos on Sunday, which featured two Safety Car interruptions.

At the restart after the primary Safety Car on lap seven, Hamilton and world champion Max Verstappen collided, with the Red Bull driver sustaining injury that pressured him to pit and a five-second time penalty, earlier than he in the end fought again to complete sixth.

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Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collide at flip two after the race restarted following the primary Safety Car.

Hamilton dropped to eighth however brilliantly recovered to second, earlier than a Safety Car that adopted Lando Norris’ retirement introduced him into hanging distance because the race resumed with 11 laps remaining.

However, Russell stayed calm to maintain Hamilton out of DRS vary within the closing phases and crown a superb debut season with the crew during which the 24-year-old leads the seven-time world champion by 23 factors going into subsequent weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The victory additionally gives vital comfort for Mercedes in a season the place their eight-year streak of constructors’ titles was ended by Red Bull, and brings them inside 23 factors of second-placed Ferrari forward of the ultimate race.

Moments after the Hamilton-Verstappen incident, Norris and Charles Leclerc additionally collided, with the Ferrari driver preventing again from the again of the sphere to complete fourth, behind his team-mate Carlos Sainz, who accomplished the rostrum.

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Max Verstappen refuses to let teammate Sergio Perez again by and is livid with Red Bull on the crew radio.

Verstappen, who sealed his second successive title in Japan final month with 4 races to spare, ignored a crew order on the ultimate lap to permit Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez by to assist the Mexican in his battle with Leclerc for second within the drivers’ championship.

Perez had let Verstappen by earlier and been promised his team-mate would return the favour if he was unable to realize additional locations, however ending seventh leaves him tied with Leclerc on 290 factors going into the ultimate race of the season.

More to observe…

Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Race Result
1) George Russell, Mercedes
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5) Fernando Alonso, Alpine
6) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
7) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
9) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo
10) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin