Russell breathes a sigh of relief: Water leak almost prevented win

George Russell managed to take his first career victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. However, the British driver saw that victory almost literally fall away as Mercedes feared behind the scenes that a water leak was playing tricks on him. This is according to Motorsport.com.

Russell was allowed to start the race from first position, after which he managed to keep his teammate Lewis Hamilton behind him. About halfway through the race, however, a problem began to occur with his car and Mercedes feared the driver would not make it to the end.

Indeed, the team detected a water leak in Russell's car. Although it could well be that the driver could not finish all the laps, Mercedes decided not to mention anything to Russell over the team radio and hoped the situation would end well.

Team boss Toto Wolff reveals to the Medium that Mercedes wanted to do everything possible to let Russell finish the race. The risk proved to be worth it in the end, as Russell remained calm throughout the race, finishing on the top podium. It is Mercedes' first win of the season.