Brazilian Grand Prix - Russell won again on Sunday, double victory for Mercedes

The 24-year-old driver thus achieved his second race victory in F1 within one day, just as this is also the second success of his team, Mercedes, this year. In addition, behind Russell, his teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, finished in second place at the end of the 71-lap race.

Behind the two Mercedes, Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari's Spanish rider, was the third, despite his second place on Saturday, he started from the seventh position due to a penalty.

Already world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) collided with Hamilton in the first lap and the front wing of his car was damaged, so he had to climb up from the end of the field and ended the race in sixth place.

The race got off to a busy start, because in the middle of the first lap, Daniel Ricciardo pushed Kevin Magnussen, the first in Friday qualifying, the Danish driver spun and his car hit the Australian, so both were eliminated. Due to the accident, the safety car drove onto the track and led the field until the end of the sixth lap.

After the restart, already world champion Verstappen battled with Hamilton, and in the second corner it seemed that the seven-time World Cup winner Briton pulled his car slightly on his rival, so they collided and both slid backwards. In addition, the front wing of the Dutchman's Red Bull was damaged. A little later, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc's fight for third place ended in a collision. The former slightly drifted off the inside curve and pushed his Ferrari from Monaco, which left the track and hit the rubber wall, but despite the seemingly serious collision, Leclerc returned to the track.

In the meantime, Russell in the lead and the thus second Sergio Perez distanced themselves from their rivals, and Carlos Sainz overtook Norris. After the accidents, Verstappen and Leclerc had to drive into the pits and then chase the entire field.

After the initial excitement, the field circled more calmly in the continuation, Russel certainly kept his advantage over Perez, whom Sainz could not get close to. At the same time, Hamilton constantly fought his way back to the front and after the tire changes of the front runners, he was in the lead for a few laps, then on the 30th lap, after changing his own tires, he returned to the fourth position.

In the continuation, the pace of the two Mercedes, Russell and Hamilton, was the best, and after Sainz drove into the pits for the second time, Hamilton first came up to third place, then after overtaking Perez to second place.

Just when it seemed that nothing would threaten the victory of the two Mercedes, with 18 laps to go, Norris's car stopped on the side of the track, and first a virtual and then a real safety car stage followed. After the forced deceleration, the shaken field had 12 laps left until the wave-off, and it quickly became clear that Perez would be the biggest loser in the safety car section. With the heavily used tires of the Mexican driver's Red Bull, he was unable to hold back those coming behind him, among whom first Sainz, then Leclerc, who fought hard throughout the race, as well as Alonso and Verstappen passed him. However, the two Mercedes drivers did not have to worry, Russell and Hamilton were clearly the fastest in the field, so they won a confident double victory.

There is one more race left in the World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be held next Sunday.

(Source: autokalauz.co.hu; MTI | Image: pixabay.com)