Russell the star as Mercedes win Sao Paulo sprint

SAO PAULO :George Russell gave Mercedes a first win of the Formula One season in the Sao Paulo sprint on Saturday, with seven-times world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton joining him on the front row for Sunday's grand prix.

The 100-km race set the grid for the main event at Interlagos, with Brazil the penultimate grand prix of the season, but also carried important points for some of the top eight finishers.

It turned out to be a 24-lap thriller, possibly the best sprint to date, with the Brazilian crowd treated to wheel-to-wheel racing, overtakes and clashes between team mates.

"That's how we roll, baby," shouted Russell, who started third and powered past Verstappen on lap 15 after several failed earlier attempts, as he took the chequered flag.

It was the Briton's first victory in Formula One, even if he is still waiting for a full one.

"They all count," he said. "It was definitely a sweet feeling to cross that line in first position... it's so great to see the progress we're making as a team.

"It's such a morale booster going into the winter regardless of the outcome tomorrow. This is a huge result for us."

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished second at the chequered flag but the Spaniard will drop back to seventh on Sunday's grid due to a penalty for exceeding his season's engine allocation.

That will promote Hamilton from third, but race stewards were looking into a potential infringement at the start although Mercedes were confident they were in the clear.

VERSTAPPEN FOURTH

Verstappen, who lined up on the front row at Interlagos alongside first time pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen's Haas, finished fourth but will also move up a place on Sunday and remains a threat.

He complained of running over debris and made contact with Sainz's