George Russell claims first F1 victory of career in thrilling Sao Paulo GP Sprint contest; Max Verstappen finishes fourth after collision with Carlos Sainz; watch the Sao Paulo GP live on Sky Sports F1 at 6pm on Sunday, with build-up from 4:30pm
Last Updated: 12/11/22 8:35pm
George Russell triumphed in a thrilling Sprint and will start from first in Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix as world champion Max Verstappen struggled to fourth after a collision with Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen took the lead from shock pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen in the early stages as the Haas rapidly fell backwards, but Russell, who started third for Mercedes, had too much pace for the Red Bull and forced his way into the lead on lap 15 before easing to victory.
Verstappen, who was one of only two cars not to start the race on soft tyres, then suffered damage as he was passed by Carlos Sainz for second, which allowed Lewis Hamilton to ease past the Dutchman a lap later to take third.
With Sainz facing a five-place grid penalty for taking a new engine this weekend, Mercedes are set to lock out the front row for Sunday’s race.
However, Hamilton, along with Daniel Ricciardo and Zhou Guanyu, is under investigation for an infringement on the grid at the start, and could still be penalised.
Sergio Perez came home behind his Red Bull-team Verstappen in fifth, with his rival for second in the drivers’ championship Charles Leclerc a place further back in sixth.
Lando Norris, who started fourth, overcame his struggles with illness to finish seventh, while pole-sitter Magnussen took the final point on offer in eighth.
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Max Verstappen endures a difficult Sprint race at the Sao Paulo GP as both Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton overtake him.
The victory is the first of any sort this season for Russell and Mercedes, who will look to add a first full-length triumph of their testing 2022 campaign on Sunday.
The Brit takes eight points for the win, with the amount for each position down to eighth descending by a point.
More to follow…
Sao Paulo GP Sprint Result: Top 101) George Russell, Mercedes (8 points)2) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari* (7 points)3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (6 points)4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull (5 points)5) Sergio Perez, Red Bull (4 points)6) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (3 points)7) Lando Norris, McLaren (2 points)8) Kevin Magnussen, Haas (1 point)9) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin10) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
*faces five-place grid penalty after taking new engine