The 2022 Sao Paolo GP turned out to be one of the most exciting races of the season. It was also the race that marked the return of Mercedes to the top step of the podium. George Russell joined the team this year and it was seen as only a matter of time before he started winning races. Lewis Hamilton too suffered a lot with pace at the beginning of the year.
Mercedes did not have the strongest car for the majority of the season, but things finally went their way at Interlagos.
After a brilliant F1 Sprint on Saturday, Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured a front-row lockout for the Silver Arrows. The W13 showed great pace on Sunday, which helped Russell in taking his first F1 win. Hamilton managed to stay ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to take second place.
Russell’s win also ensured that Hamilton smashed yet another record in F1. He has now shared the most number of podiums with first-time race winners in the sport. Earlier, this record belonged to Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel (4). Hamilton has now shared the podium with five different first-time race winners.
Mercedes back on top after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell masterclass
Most people expected Red Bull to dominate the 2022 Sao Paolo GP just like they dominated most races this year. Max Verstappen in particular has been unstoppable this year, winning 14 races. However, Mercedes turned up to Interlagos with a car that was much faster than Ferrari and Red Bull.
Qualifying did not go their way as Russell and Hamilton managed third and eighth place respectively. In the Sprint, however, the W13 seemed faster than anyone else as Russell and Hamilton ensured a front row lockout. They topped off their Sprint masterclass by winning on Sunday as well. This means that Mercedes won’t spend the 2022 season win less.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted that he would rather win a race than secure P2 in the Constructors’ Title. If the Silver Arrows manage to show similar pace at the season finale and secure another 1-2, they may achieve both feats and complete a remarkable turnaround at the end of the campaign.
