Sainz takes debut win amid epic Silverstone drama

Sainz takes debut win amid epic Silverstone drama: Analysis of the British Grand Prix, brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit

A debut winner, record crowds, a remarkable escape from a serious crash, safety cars and spectacular wheel to wheel racing; the British Grand Prix literally had everything. It feels like every race this season so far has been a huge celebration of the pinnacle of motorsport, with massive crowds reveling in the buzz and excitement of a sport experiencing an unprecedented level of global interest. Whilst Silverstone this weekend, the historical home of F1, was certainly no exception, the feeling of optimism around this great sport just seemed that much more tangible. The atmosphere, anticipation and the home crowd support for both Mercedes drivers, as well as Lando Norris, was something very special indeed, with a record 142,000 race day crowd and 400,000 over the whole weekend.

Some things never change, however, with the British summer always threatening rain. In fact, in qualifying the timing of the Saturday rain could not have been more difficult for the teams’ preparations, with a huge downpour five minutes before the start of qualifying. This meant that conditions were treacherous for the whole session. It was Carlos Sainz – a surprise for many including the driver himself – who took pole, beating Max Verstappen by the smallest of margins, giving the Spaniard his first ever pole. Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez completed the top four and there was good news for the home fans with Hamilton in fifth and Norris sixth. With Russell just behind in eighth, it was clear that Mercedes pace was continuing to improve and the car was bouncing visibly less than in previous races.

At the start of the race, it was Verstappen who got the best start, jumping Sainz, but it was the drama further back which dominated the early race. Zho Guanyu, having been clipped by Russell, slid upside down, jumped the tyre barrier and went straight into the catch fencing. A long pause followed as the extrication teams recovered him from the car. Remarkably, after a medical checkup he was deemed uninjured. The replays on TV were as dramatic as they were harrowing and some would say he had a lucky escape. The reality is that F1 once again showed the amazing developments in car and driver safety, combined with the effectiveness of safety barriers and the response teams. When it comes to safety, F1 doesn’t rely on luck and this escape was a prime example.

After the delay, the restart was less favorable for Verstappen, as Sainz got away quicker. Things got worse for the current world champion as floor damage on lap 13 led to an unscheduled pit stop and, with his car clearly underperforming for the rest of the race, he was out of contention.