São Paulo Grand Prix 2022 - Race Schedule and Countdown

George Russell claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory with a composed drive at the São Paulo Grand Prix, holding off Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling one-two finish for the Silver Arrows. The British driver controlled the race from pole position, managing multiple Safety Car restarts and intense pressure from Hamilton to secure his breakthrough win at Interlagos. Carlos Sainz completed the podium in third for Ferrari, while Russell set the fastest lap to cap off a perfect weekend.

Russell had dominated the sprint race on Saturday and converted pole position into the lead at the start of the grand prix, controlling the opening stint before multiple Safety Cars bunched up the field. The neutralizations came first for Daniel Ricciardo's stricken McLaren and later for Lando Norris's retirement, creating tense restart battles. Hamilton, who had made a poor start and dropped to eighth, drove brilliantly through the field to catch his teammate, mounting intense pressure in the closing laps. The seven-time champion pushed Russell hard but couldn't find a way past, settling for second in an emotional Mercedes one-two.

Max Verstappen finished sixth after a difficult weekend that included a sprint race disqualification for a technical infringement on his rear wing. The result had no impact on the championship standings with both titles already secured, but Mercedes' dominant performance provided a much-needed morale boost and validation of their development direction. Russell's first win came in his 81st Grand Prix start, ending the longest wait for a maiden victory among the 2022 grid. The 24-year-old's emotional celebration and Hamilton's gracious support created one of the season's most heartwarming moments.