Formula 1 has wrapped up the Brazilian GP, the penultimate round of the 2022 season with Mercedes finally ending its winless run.
Formula 1 returned to the iconic circuit of Interlagos for the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The exciting race was set on a dry afternoon with Mercedes’ George Russell starting from the pole position.
The race was full of thrilling racing action alongside some drama and moments on the track.
The race also reignited some sparks from the past and some new flames in the present. All in all the race was not boring at all keeping us entertained and wanting more.
Let’s take a look at some of the key defining moments of this 71-laps racing action.
Mercedes resurgent drive
If there was a main talking point of the Brazilian GP, it has to be the Mercedes team and its drivers.
After an amazing drive in the sprint race on Saturday, George Russell started the race in P1 with his teammate Lewis Hamilton right behind him. This was the first front-row lockup for the Silver Arrows in 2022. This also meant it was their best chance to take home their first win of the season. And the team did just that.
Starting from the pole, George Russel kept any challenges and threats at bay in his seemingly flawless drive. The Briton kept his calm and cool throughout the 71 laps as he never did any unforced error.
Russell also timed two safety car restarts perfectly to avoid the attack from his teammate right on his rear.
Lewis Hamilton also came close to keeping his record of at least one win in every season he took part in. The 7-time world champion showcased a rather flawless drive other than the collision with Max Verstappen on lap 7 at turn 1 after the first safety car restart.
Because of the contact, Hamilton lost several places which meant he had to recover to challenge his teammate again.
Anyways, the 3-time Brazilian GP winner came home in P2 securing a 1-2 for Mercedes after a wait of 47 races and 2 years.
The resurgent Mercedes is showing immense pace as the team looks all set to put up a challenge for the upcoming season.
Glimpse from the past: Hamilton and Verstappen come together in a dramatic fashion
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were the main rivals involved in a fierce battle last season for the championship. This season, however, the case was different with W13 being incredibly slower than the RB18 for most of the season.
This, however, was not the case in Brazil. The W13 was not just faster but seemed capable enough to win the race. This was made clear in the sprint where Max Verstappen was overtaken by both the Mercedes. Although he did have some damage after contact with Sainz and on slower Tyres but still W13 was looking competitive enough.
With both Mercedes ahead, Verstappen had a clear target – overtaking Hamilton than chasing Russell for the race win. However, things didn’t go planned.
On the opening lap itself, Ricciardo tagged Kevin Magnussen from behind causing a crash that ended the race for both of them. This triggered a safety car which ended after 5 laps.
The safety car came in at the end of lap 6 as George Russell timed the restart perfectly to avoid the threat of his teammate. However, it was not so simple for his teammate. Hamilton was being chased by Verstappen who got a better start. The Dutchman went around the outside of Hamilton on turn 1.
However, the duo came extremely close to making contact as the front wing of Verstappen’s red bull got damaged. Both slipped off multiple positions as Verstappen came to pit for a new front wing.
FIA later deemed Verstappen guilty of the incident awarding him a 5-seconds time penalty. Verstappen finished the race in P6 recovering from the incident.
Key moments of the Brazilian GP
A few of the key moments of the race include the opening lap crash between Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen. The crash triggered a safety car.
Later after the safety car restart on lap 7, there was another collision between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. Leclerc ended in barriers damaging his Tyres and front wing but was still capable to continue his race. Norris was given a 5-second time penalty for the collision.
The Monegasque later finished in P4 as Norris went on to retire later in the race due to a mechanical issue.
Fernando Alonso gave a magnificent drive finishing in P5 after starting from P17. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz finished the podium places taking P3 ahead of his teammate.
Click here for full race results.
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