In the GP in Sao Paulo, the Englishman of Mercedes wins his first success in the top flight ahead of Lewis and the reds. Bad for the Red Bulls (Verstappen and Perez 6th and 7th behind Alonso)
Giusto Ferronato
November 13
– san paolo (Brazil)
Mercedes is really back! And this time not for a Sprint race, but in a real GP. On the penultimate occasion of 2022 it was George Russell who triumphed in Brazil, unable to hold back tears because this was the first victory of his career. A victory that crowns a long run-up to the seat in a top team: at the age of 24 George realized his dream and became the 113th winner of a GP of the top racing series. And what a victory! Also because the runner-up was Lewis Hamilton, the other Mercedes standard bearer who fought over him to the end. It is not correct to speak of generational handover, but it is certainly a fact that Mercedes’ first victory of the season bears the signature of the young lion and not of the successful champion.
stars that shine
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It is also a fact that this weekend Russell also won the Saturday Sprint, legitimizing a true number 1 weekend. Hamilton will only have Abu Dhabi next Sunday to try to keep the record of a GP won in all seasons of his F1 career, which has always happened since his debut in 2007. But this would be one more thing. The main news is that this weekend, in addition to Russell’s star that has lit up, the three-pointed one of Stuttgart has also returned to shine, clearly faster than Red Bull and Ferrari, which saved the honor and (for now) the 2nd place in the constructors thanks to the third place of Carlos Sainz and the fourth of Charles Leclerc.
bad verstappen
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Russell was doubly good because he always managed the highlights of the race well, from the initial start to the restarts behind the two Safety Cars that put Hamilton in the exhausts. Lewis was the main rival because Verstappen (perhaps the world champion’s first real bad weekend) practically eliminated himself in an attempt to overtake the Senna-like rival Senna. Max entered where there was no more space on lap 7 and rightly took a 5-second penalty. Same penalty for Lando Norris, who “derived” his McLaren against Leclerc’s Ferrari who was forced to a difficult comeback race.
max-checo scuffle
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The pit stops did not give any upheavals. Three stops overall for the first 6 except for the two Mercedes drivers, confirming the newfound competitiveness of the Silver Arrows that had already been seen in Mexico. Perez has been with Mercedes for a long time, but today Red Bull never had the pace and in the end there was also Verstappen’s attack on his teammate, a maneuver that subtracted 3 points from the Mexican. A detail for Max, not for Checo, who is playing for second place with Leclerc: the result is that now the Ferrari driver and Perez are paired at 290 with one race to go. Team principal Christian Horner ultimately wanted to clarify with Verstappen because the episode proved that surely not everyone on the team was aligned. And a radio team (evidently not respected) in which Verstappen had been asked to keep his position, is there to testify to Max’s “disobedience” and the anything but idyllic relationship with his teammate.
eternal alonso
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Ferrari fought, but was never in the running to beat Mercedes, much more on the ball. The accident between Leclerc and Norris was a negative episode that took away an arrow from the reds, because then Charles, also thanks to the final Safety Car, finished in the very first positions. Also to be recorded fifth place for the eternal Fernando Alonso, who had the satisfaction of preceding the two Red Bulls, his teammate Ocon, the Alfa Romeo of the usually very positive Valtteri Bottas and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. Out Friday hero Kevin Magnussen, knocked out by a touch from behind by Ricciardo at the start. Next Sunday the Circus closes the 2022 season in Abu Dhabi.
November 13, 2022 (change November 13, 2022 | 21:50)
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