British GP: Sainz’s Maiden Win
Silverstone GP: Sainz’s Maiden Victory
After a nail-biting race at Silverstone, Carlos Sainz defeated Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez to the top step of the podium and celebrated his maiden victory on his 150th start. There was nonstop action and drama from the beginning to the end of the British Grand Prix, with a severe collision just seconds into the race.
Halo saves Zhou
Due to an instant red flag, attention was diverted from the Ferraris and Red Bulls at the head of the field to the cars farther back. Unfortunately, five drivers were involved in an accident when Russell and Zhou made a slow start, Gasly made contact with Russell’s rear tyre, sending him into the rear corner of Zhou’s Alfa Romeo. Zhou entered Silverstone’s first corner upside down. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu suffered the worst damage in the event. Zhou’s car was sent into a roll by a gravel trap, pitched by collision, and skidded over the paved run-off on its roll hoop. The Alfa Romeo then sped through the catch fence and over the tyre barrier.
The British Grand Prix was delayed for about an hour due to the horrific incident involving the Chinese driver, but he has since said that he was okay.
Before his car flipped over and bounced over the tyre barrier and into a crowded grandstand, Zhou made contact with George Russell and Pierre Gasly.
Alex Albon, the Williams driver who was involved in a different Lap 1 collision, was also transported to the Medical Centre before being moved to Coventry Hospital for “precautionary examinations.”
Questionable Ferrari strategy
Mattia Binotto, the head of Ferrari, believes that despite Charles Leclerc losing in a late-race Safety Car, Ferrari made the correct choices at the British Grand Prix.
When Esteban Ocon stopped his Alpine on the track, the Monegasque was in the lead, and the Safety Car was called. Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz took a pit stop at this time, along with the other top four cars.
But because Leclerc did not pit, he was exposed to Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton when the race restarted.
Both passed him, and Sainz won his first Formula 1 race, dropping Leclerc to fourth.
Ferrari elected to bring Sainz in because, according to Binotto, they feared that double-stacking their cars in the pits would have caused them to lose too much time.
Sainz was the driver selected by the team to pit in the hopes that the soft tyres would degrade more quickly, allowing Leclerc more opportunities in the closing laps.
Double points finish for Haas
The Kannapolis-based Haas Formula 1 team has accomplished double points finish for the first race in over three years since the 2019 German Grand Prix.
Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career has not been without its challenges.
The 23-year-old comes from a distinguished racing family, and the team has struggled since the driver joined Haas F1 in 2021. Schumacher skipped the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this season and has two DNFs, at Montreal and Monaco (the latter for engine troubles). However, he had finished in the top 15 in five of the six races before Silverstone. In contrast, he only finished in the top 15 in four races last season while suffering three DNFs in a total of 22 races.
After finishing his last F1 qualifying session in sixth place, a career-high, he struggled during the British Grand Prix qualifying, starting in 19th with his teammate in P17.
After a lengthy period of climbing the grid, the duo ended with points.
With a P8 result on Sunday, Haas driver Mick Schumacher earned his first career point; teammate Kevin Magnussen finished P10.
