Home Sport Carlos Sainz wins British GP thriller

Carlos Sainz wins British GP thriller

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Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz drove impeccably on Sunday to secure his first ever Formula One win at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr (L) leads Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc during the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England on Sunday
Ferrari’s Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr (L) leads Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc during the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England on Sunday. Picture: Justin Tallis, AFP

Silverstone — Carlos Sainz claimed his maiden Formula One win on his 150th start in a thrilling British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday.

The Ferrari driver kept his cool to beat Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes.

World champion Max Verstappen finished seventh but retained the series lead in a race marred by a multi-car pile up at the opening corner.

ALSO READ: Carlos Sainz takes first career pole at Silverstone

“I don’t know what to say, it’s amazing. First race win 150 races later with Ferrari in Silverstone, it’s a very special day,” said Sainz, who won from pole.

Behind Sainz there was an epic battle closing laps battle between Perez, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

For Hamilton this was his 11th race without victory, the seven-time champion’s longest losing sequence.

Hamilton, who paid tribute to the 130,000 fans, said: “I was in amongst that battle but the upgrade we brought here made us closer to them.”

This 10th round of the 22-race season began with carnage at the first corner after a horror crash with Zhou Guanyu’s Alfa Romeo flipped upside down and hurtling over the circuit’s safety barrier.

George Russell’s Mercedes, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) and the Williams of Alex Albon were also involved.

Zhou’s car was catapulted upside down, the Chinese rookie’s head saved by his car’s roll hoop-halo as it skidded off across a gravel trap and over tyre barriers into the catch fencing, where it bounced back to finish semi-upright in a stationary position.

Both Zhou and Albon escaped serious injury in the smash which caused a one-hour delay.

AFP

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