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In a rather dramatic 2022 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix, George Russell secured his first F1 race victory this weekend at Interlagos, giving Mercedes their first win of the season so far. With Lewis Hamilton coming in second, the Silver Arrows converted a front-row lock-out to their first 1-2 finish since the 2020 F1 season.
After winning the sprint race on Saturday and starting today from pole position, George Russell drove an absolutely dominant race, maintaining his lead through several race re-starts and safety cars. In a post-race media interaction, the Briton thanked the team for all their efforts and reflected on his first season with Mercedes this year. He said:
"What an amazing feeling. Just a huge thank you to the whole team for making this possible. It has been an emotional rollercoaster this season. This was a tough race, I felt in control."
He added:
"Lewis was super-fast and when I saw the Safety Car, I thought this is going to be a really difficult end, he put me under so much pressure. I am speechless. On the in lap, all of these memories start flooding back, starting with my mum and dad at go-karting and going through to all of the support I have had from the rest of my family, my girlfriend, my trainer, my manager. The list is endless. I can't thank them all enough, I am super proud."
George Russell "confident" that Mercedes will achieve their goals in the future
Having dominated F1 for a whopping eight consecutive seasons, it took Mercedes 21 races to secure their first win in 2022. The team had a rough start to the year with the introduction of new regulations but slowly climbed their way back to a certain extent. In George Russell's first year with the team, he has managed to make the most of his opportunity and remains optimistic about Mercedes' ability to introduce a more competitive package in 2023.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Russell displayed complete confidence in the team's future, emphasizing that he is "positive" about Mercedes' return back to the top. He said:
"We have a philosophy that we are going to implement in the development of the car. I'm pretty sure it's the right philosophy, but it doesn't necessarily mean we're going to get everything. We have a goal and that is already very positive. We are hunting (for the top teams, ed.) and we have a clear goal. Can we achieve that goal? I'm confident. Of course, we don't know what the other teams can find in the winter, but I'm confident that we will have a more complete car in 2023."
After a glorious win in São Paulo, George Russell has strengthened his fourth-place position in the drivers' standings, with a total of 257 points to his name.
