Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2022: George Russell Gets 1st Career Win; Lewis Hamilton 2nd

The 2022 Formula 1 season has belonged to Max Verstappen, but after a season full of near-misses, George Russell has finally broken through.

Russell gave Mercedes its first win of the 2022 campaign at Sunday's São Paulo Grand Prix, turning in a dominant performance while teammate Lewis Hamilton finished behind him in second place.

Two weeks after setting the F1 single-season record for wins (14), Verstappen had a frustrating afternoon that was highlighted by a five-second penalty for causing contact with Hamilton early in the race.

The penalty caused him to take a nosedive down the field before he was able to recover for a sixth-place finish.

Two weeks after setting the F1 single-season record for wins (14), Verstappen had a frustrating afternoon that was highlighted by a five-second penalty for causing contact with Hamilton early in the race.

The penalty caused him to take a nosedive down the field before he was able to recover for a sixth-place finish.

Tensions also appear to be bubbling over between Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez. Verstappen was criticized for his refusal to allow Perez to move ahead of him in Sunday's waning moments, a move that would have given Perez critical points as he attempts to lock up second place in the standings.

"It shows who he really is," Perez said on the radio to his team.

A fuming Perez later said Verstappen's two championships are "thanks to me."

While Verstappen would undoubtedly prefer a stronger result—and some better inter-team relations—there's nothing that can take away from his brilliant 2022 campaign. This is one of the finest seasons in the history of racing, in any discipline, across any decade.

Russell's victory will give Mercedes at least some reason to have a positive outlook heading into 2023. This season has been a consistent source of frustration for the Mercedes team, with Hamilton not performing up to his typical championship expectations due in large part to the failures of the cars given to him by the team.

Russell has emerged as a bright spot in the future for Mercedes, and giving him his first career F1 victory will go a long way toward building that team's morale moving forward.