PA Media/DPA
Las Vegas
George Russell said he abandoned plans to celebrate his brilliant Las Vegas Grand Prix victory by jumping in the Bellagio fountains after revealing he suffered a four-month battle with pneumonia.
Russell completed the most dominant drive of his life in a Mercedes which came alive on the Strip to take his third career win on Saturday night.
Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton drove back from 10th to complete a British one-two for the Silver Arrows.
“I really wanted to do it (jump in the fountains), but I was so cold after the race I thought I would get super ill,” said the 26-year-old.
“This time last year I actually caught pneumonia and I was ill all the way into mid-February after Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.
“So I was like, ‘I really want to do it’, but then I was thinking back to the struggles I had this time 12 months ago because it took such a toll on the body.”
Russell’s second win of the season - which takes him nine points clear of Hamilton in the championship standings - rarely looked in doubt after he nailed his start from pole position.
Norris praise for Max
Lando Norris praised Max Verstappen after his chances of a maiden Formula One title were shattered. The McLaren driver needed to outscore Verstappen by at least three points to take the title race into the Qatar GP next week. But he finished sixth, one position behind Verstappen. “Congrats to Max. I’m disappointed I’m out of it, but Max deserved to win it. He drove a better season than I did, he deserved it more than anyone else, Max just doesn’t have a weakness,” Norris told reporters.
