Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 for first F1 win after Hamilton, Verstappen clash
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Russell followed up winning the F1 sprint race on Saturday by converting pole position into his maiden grand prix win at Interlagos with a brilliantly managed drive. The Briton expertly handled two Safety Car restarts and fended off a late charge from teammate Hamilton, who recovered from a collision with Verstappen to complete a Mercedes 1-2 and hand the eight-time constructors’ champions their first victory of a troubled 2022 campaign. Russell was overcome with emotion as he crossed the line as the weight of his long-awaited achievement hit him, saying over team radio: “This is just the beginning, this is just the beginning. I’m so proud of all of you.” Behind the Mercedes pair, Carlos Sainz claimed the final spot on the podium amid a late charge after pitting under the late Safety Car for softs, while Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who at one point was in the barriers after being tagged by Lando Norris’ McLaren, turned in a superb recovery to finish fourth.Like Sainz, Fernando Alonso made the most of fresh soft tyres to battle his way up to a strong fifth for Alpine, ahead of Verstappen and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who faded from third to seventh on his older medium tyres. World champion Verstappen was handed a five-second time penalty for colliding with Hamilton at the first Safety Car restart as the former title rivals made contact as they battled over second place.More to follow…Related How to watch F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix today: Live stream from anywhere Russell expects no team orders, Merc to split strategy
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