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The 2022 Brazilian GP was a race where emotions ran high on many fronts. The entire grid was bustling with action, up and down the line.
Eventually, it was a British driver in a Mercedes who won the race. It was not Lewis Hamilton but his compatriot George Russell. The youngster picked up the first win of his F1 career, putting together a flawless weekend for Mercedes, who racked up their first win of the season.
While the Brazilian GP was certainly an experience worth having for some, it wasn't the best race for others, who left Sao Paulo with a sour taste in their mouth. Who are they? Well, let's find out as we take a look at the winners and losers of the 2022 Brazilian GP.
2022 F1 Brazilian GP (Winners and Losers)
Winner: George Russell and Mercedes
It was the first win of the season for Mercedes and the first F1 win for George Russell. After the kind of start that Mercedes had to the year, the fact that they dominated the Brazilian GP is a testament to the team's mettle.
The win was important for Russell and the team, as both had a point to prove. Russell has seen his stock take a hit in the last few races as Hamilton has taken over.
The crash on Friday didn't help either. Having said that, an ability to make the most of a competitive car is sometimes all you need to win big in a Mercedes, which Russell showed on Sunday.
For Mercedes, the Brazilian GP weekend was proof that they should be considered a title challenger next season. The German team has overcome issues this year and also has more development time available next season compared to Red Bull. Favourites for the 2023 title? Why not?
Loser: Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen does have a tendency to let it slip sometimes. What he did in the Brazilian GP was a stupid decision both short term and long term, as he created an enemy out of his biggest ally on the grid.
This was a weekend where everything that could go wrong for Verstappen went wrong. It will be interesting to see what the 25-year-old double world champion does at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP this weekend.
Winner: Alpine
It was a complete implosion at Alpine. While Fernando Alonso can try his best to ridicule teammate Esteban Ocon for the incident at the start of the sprint, it wasn't the Frenchman's fault.
Nevertheless, the race on Sunday was perfect for the team as their 19-point advantage going into the last race means Alpine have all but sealed P4 in the championship.
Alpine are not a well-oiled machine. Far from it. They are, however, a team that has started to put together a few very important pieces when it comes to taking the next step in the championship and joining the frontrunners.
Loser: McLaren
The Brazilian GP was probably the race that sealed P5 for McLaren in the championship. The team has been more or less running on the performances of Lando Norris, and Sao Paulo was one of those rare weekends when Norris was just not up to the mark.
A double DNF when the team needed to maximize the result should hurt, but maybe this is the kick up the backside McLaren needed all along.
Loser: Aston Martin Strategy team
Sebastian Vettel was running comfortably in P5 at the start of the race and leading the midfield pack. From that point onwards, how the team was able to make such questionable choices that it dropped Vettel out of the points is hard to fathom.
Aston Martin has come a long way from being a team that had no money but great results to a team that has a lot of money but lacks the efficiency to perform at its best.
The Brazilian GP was a race where Vettel could easily have scored a chunk of points. The fact that he didn't shows how much the strategy unit of the team has to work to get things right.
Loser: Red Bull
Shades of 'Multi-21' were present in what happened between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the 2022 Brazilian GP. Props to team boss Christian Horner, as he was still able to manage the situation to the best of his ability, especially when you compare what happened in Malaysia in 2013 spilled over to the next weekend.
Red Bull lost a lot of momentum to Mercedes during the Brazilian GP. They lost a race, and the team harmony was thrown out of the window. It will be interesting to see how they regroup in Abu Dhabi because that could determine who has the momentum heading into the next season.
