Las Vegas winner George Russell explains why he avoided Bellagio fountain plunge

By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, 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.

Hamilton was able to pick off the opposition at will to move up eight places in a Mercedes which starred in the cold desert conditions.

The 39-year-old seven-time world champion should have been in contention to challenge Russell but he was made to rue two mistakes in qualifying which left him way down the grid.

“If I’d done my job yesterday, it would have been a breeze today,” said Hamilton, who has just two races remaining with Mercedes before he joins Ferrari. “But it’s OK. I had fun coming from the back.

“We don’t know why we were so quick this weekend but that’s the nice. That’s the best the car has ever felt, so I’m grateful to have been a part of getting it to that point.”