"I'm speechless, in the return lap to the pits a lot of memories came to the surface", reacted, very moved, the poleman at the finish of the penultimate round of the season.
The Mercedes are ahead of the Ferraris of Spaniard Carlos Sainz, 3rd, and Monegasque Charles Leclerc.
Russell, 24, won at the end of a GP punctuated from the start by a safety car, then the clashes of Max Verstappen (Red Bull) with Lewis Hamilton, and that of Charles Leclerc with Lando Norris (McLaren) at the resumption of the race.
Starting 3rd on the grid, Verstappen, already assured of his second world championship title this year, finished in an unusual 6th place.
The Dutchman was notably found guilty of his collision with Hamilton, and like Leclerc, he was forced to go back to the pits to repair his car, losing many places on the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo.
- Mercedes vs. Ferrari -
Mercedes has come a long way since throughout the season, the German manufacturer has tried somehow to get rid of the problems linked to the new regulations of the season, which prevented it from competing with Red Bull.
Max Verstappen and his Red Bull (left) and Lewis Hamilton with his Mercedes in contact during the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo on November 13, 2022 NELSON ALMEIDA AFP
For the German team, eight-time F1 world champion for constructors, this is the first success since the Saudi Arabian GP in December 2021, and the first double since 2020, with Valtteri Bottas instead of Russell.
In the constructors' championship, this double allows him to return to 19 lengths behind Ferrari, still second before the last race of the season, next weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Among the drivers, behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), in the fight for second place overall, leave Brazil with a perfect equality of points on the clock (290).
Pérez, struggling late in the race, finished 7th in Brazil.
Neither of the two drivers, who finished behind their respective teammates, could benefit from the favors of Sainz and Verstappen to grab points.
The Brazilian GP was the third and last in 2022 to offer the format with qualifying on Friday, qualifying sprint race on Saturday and GP on Sunday.
Dane Kevin Magnussen, who took the first pole position of his career on Friday at the wheel of his Haas, had to retire after a collision with Australian Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren at the start of the race.
Lando Norris' other McLaren also retired, which is Alpine's business.
In the championship, the French team gave themselves a little air in front of the British in their battle for 4th place, thanks to the 5th and 8th of the Spaniard Fernando Alonso and the French Esteban Ocon.
19 points now separate the two teams.
© 2022 AFP