George Russell won the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix – his first-ever full-length grand prix victory – finishing ahead of his teammate, seven-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, as Mercedes finished the race as they started it, in both of the top two positions.
Russell, who had won the sprint race qualifier the day before, sat on pole position alongside Hamilton and kept the lead through the first corners of the race but McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo clipped Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, knocking both of them out of the race and bringing on an immediate safety car for the second lap.
Five laps later, Russell again held off Hamilton on the race restart, but Red Bull’s Max Verstappen hit Hamilton while attempting to pass him on the second corner, damaging his car and sending Hamilton skittering off to the pit exit lane before he rejoined the race in eighth position. Verstappen was later assessed a five-second penalty for causing the collision and was never a factor for the podium places.
Just a few corners later, McLaren’s Lando Norris hit Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and sent Leclerc into the barrier – but it was a gentle hit and Leclerc was able to rejoin the race – albeit at the bottom of the grid.
Hamilton gradually moved up through the field and by Lap 25, he was in first place after Russell elected to take his first pit stop. Hamilton held the lead for four laps before his pit stop relinquished the lead back to Russell, who proceeded to hold it for the remainder of the race.
Norris suffered a mechanical failure on Lap 53 of the 71-lap race and that created the final drama behind Russell and Hamilton as the safety car was employed and when the race was restarted on Lap 60, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez had to fend off Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Jr. but was unable to do so and Sainz, Jr. claimed the third and final podium position.
With the results, the driver’s standings tightened up in places as Verstappen leads with 424 points with Leclerc now in second place with 287 points – a single point ahead of Perez with 286 – followed by Russell with 257, Hamilton with 234 and Sainz, Jr. with 227.
2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Top 10 Finishers
1] George Russell Mercedes
2] Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
3] Carlos Sainz, Jr. Ferrari
4] Charles Leclerc Ferrari
5] Fernando Alonso Alpine
6] Max Verstappen Red Bull
7] Sergio Pérez Red Bull
8] Esteban Ocon Alpine
9] Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo
10] Lance Stroll Aston Martin
