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George Russell clinched his career's first Formula 1 victory at the 2022 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.
Though Russell drove flawlessly and valiantly fought his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, his car had a glaring issue. After the race, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff revealed how the team were even scared of a DNF at Interlagos.
Mercedes' Team Principal explained how George Russell's car had a water leak during the race. Though the team knew about the issue, they chose not to disclose it to Russell as it would've hampered his focus.
Thankfully, the water leak didn't cause any major problems in the Mercedes W13, allowing the 24-year-old to secure his first Grand Prix victory.
Toto Wolff said:
"We had a water leak on the car throughout the race, and it wasn't clear whether we could actually make it to the end. We talked about it on the intercom, and we all agreed that we were going to let him drive to the end, even without water, and just try to finish the race."
Toto Wolff also reminisced about the events of the 2020 F1 Sakhir Grand Prix. At the time, George Russell was still with his former team Williams and was given a golden chance to drive for Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Toto expressed how brilliantly Russell drove in Bahrain and deserved the race win. Due to a tire mishap from Mercedes, he was unable to clinch his first victory.
Toto Wolff said:
"I think he deserved to win in Bahrain, and we let him down with the car. That's why today this victory makes us happy because he could have had one on the clock two years ago, and he didn't and now he has that first victory."
Toto Wolff was extremely delighted that George Russell finally got his first victory, despite having slight issues with the car.
Though Toto wasn't with the team in Sao Paulo, he video-called both his drivers after the race to congratulate them for a one-two finish.
George Russell expresses his emotion after winning the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP
As with any driver who wins their first Formula 1 Grand Prix, George Russell was elated.
While racing around the intense 71 laps at Interlagos, the Briton kept his cool and drove brillantly. During the final laps, he kept Lewis Hamilton behind and out of the DRS window.
In the post-race interview, Russell expressed his emotions and thanked the German team for their efforts.
George 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."
Mercedes had an extremely tough 2022 season. They were nowhere near podium finishes and fought for points in midfield.
However, the team gradually developed a car capable enough to compete and win. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished in P1 and P2, respectively, making the Brazilian GP's result Mercedes' best of the season.
