Toto Wolff misses Mercedes one-two in Brazil: 'Won't miss the next one'

It took until the penultimate race of the year, but Mercedes finally got a victory in the 2022 Formula 1 season. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured a one-two victory in a dramatic race, though team boss Toto Wolff wasn't at the circuit in Sao Paulo. Andrew Shovlin is sure his boss won't miss the next one, whilst acknowledging the hard work from the Mercedes team. 

For the first time since 2014, Mercedes weren't in contention for the Formula 1 World Championship. They had to let Red Bull Racing and Ferrari fight for that, a duel that Red Bull comfortably won with ease. Whilst they couldn't fight for the title, they've been battling with their car to try and make it competitive. The race in Brazil confirmed they are on their way back to the top. 

"It's been a long journey over the course of the year. What a result today, to get both cars up there is fantastic. We're delighted. It is the same car we had last week. It seems to be working really well, the sprint race gives you the challenge to get it sorted in one hour. It seems to be just in the right place. Same car we've had in the last three," Shovlin told Sky Sports. 

"It was a long road we had to work in terms of development and understanding the problems. We kind of did write off the season early on when we realised how far away we were and realised the championship was out of reach. The focus was the learning and understanding the problems. The result today is the product of all the hard work." 

Mercedes delighted 

Mercedes let both of their drivers race for the victory after the final safety car period. Russell led the way and held a gap of more than one second over Hamilton. Shovlin gives his thoughts on Russell's skills to control the race, whilst also confirming he had to make the calls in Wolff's absence. 

"He is one of those drivers who is comfortable out front, he is calm and knows what to do. When you have a shot at the win like that, to nail it on the first time is brilliant. I am not sure [Wolff] will miss the next one, he is delighted. He has been in touch with us during the race, a shame he wasn't here."