When he climbed atop the podium at Interlagos, George Russell fulfilled the burning ambition which was sparked when he got behind the wheel of a go-kart at the age of eight.
“I need some tissues,” the King's Lynn-born racer said from inside his crash helmet, seconds after the chequered flag fell on his first Formula One victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday. “I am crying, boys and girls.”
After beating his Mercedes team-mate and boyhood hero Lewis Hamilton to first place, the 24-year-old driver paid tribute to his family and friends and said his victory was "just as much theirs".
He tweeted: "To my family, my friends, my team-mates and everyone who has been on this journey, thank you.
"I can't put into words how much your support means to me and how much of a joint effort it has been.
"This win is as much yours as it is mine. We did it, together. I'm so proud of you all."
Russell first got into a kart at the age of eight and won his way steadily towards motorsport's pinnacle from there.
As a pupil at Wisbech Grammar School, he left his classmates and teachers in no doubt his future ambitions lay in the fast lane.
One he shared his dream of a career behind the wheel of a racing car with was Dr Kevin Mann, who was his head of section and mentor after he joined the school as a confident 10-year-old.
"I thought it was such a goal, it would be so difficult to achieve," he said, after watching his former charge race his way to victory.
"It's just remarkable to win an F1 race with all the competition there is out there, to win a race and lead pretty much from start to finish.
"To have people like Lewis Hamilton congratulating him was just brilliant, brilliant in every way.
"So many pupils have followed his career here. It's been an incredible journey."
Teachers set Russell homework to complete as his father Steve took him first around the country and then further afield in the family motorhome as he rose up the ranks of kart racing.
Many of Russell's early wins were at the Ellough Park Raceway, a kart racing track near Beccles.
Circuit manager Jacob Hulme watched the highlights of the previous day's race before he turned into work on Monday.
"It's nice to see a local lad do so well," he said. "I was born in Lynn as well so it was really nice to see someone you can relate to and be proud of win."
Mr Hulme said Russell had remained in touch with the Suffolk circuit after he graduated from karts to racing cars, attending a presentation night shortly after rising to the ranks of Formula One, when he joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport as a part of their junior driver programme five years ago.
Russell went on to join Williams as a fully-fledged driver for the 2019 season. In December 2020, he stood in for Mercedes legend Hamilton who had tested positive for Covid at the Sakhir Grand Prix, finishing ninth to earn his first three World Championship points.
After another season at Williams, the Tydd St Giles speedster was placed 15th in the 2021 Driver's Championship. At the start of the current season, he joined Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Asked how he felt at the time, he said: “I don't think any driver would be naive to think they could go up against a seven-time world champion and have it easy.
"Because a guy like Lewis is who he is because of his speed and determination.
"But that's every driver's dream - and I've said that for the last three years that it would be my dream to be team-mates with Lewis, because I want to learn from the best and I want to go up against the best.”
Hamilton said: "George is an incredibly talented driver. He’s humble, I think he’s got a great approach. He’s the future, he’s one of the members of the future of the sport."
Russell gave F1 the first glimpse of that future before the tears flowed on Sunday.
“My career has been an emotional rollercoaster," he said.
NORFOLK LEGENDS
George Russell is not the first Lynner to find fame in Formula One.
Martin Brundle drove for Tyrrell, Brabham, Benetton, McClaren and Ligier in the 1980s and 90s.
His career tally was nine podiums and 98 championship points, with a best championship finish of sixth in 1992, before he went on to become a commentator for the BBC and Sky.
Brundle's arch-rival in his early racing career was Ayrton Senna, who rented a humble two-bed bungalow in Rugge Drive, Eaton, Norwich, when he began racing Formula Ford cars for the Snetterti-based Van Diemen company in 1981.
Brazillian star Senna, went on to race for Lotus and McClaren, with whom he won three drivers' championships before moving on to Williams before he died of his injuries after crashing into a retaining wall at 140mph during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
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