Today, the FIA Formula One World Championship visited the Silverstone Circuit for the British Grand Prix. The site of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s crucial collision last season played host to another high-speed and dramatic race. This year’s Instant Classic has spawned a great race and a new Grand Prix winner.
The focus of the race started was not the Ferrari and the Red Bulls in front but the cars in the back because of an instant red flag. There was a frenzied melee into the first corner of Silverstone that quickly ended in a crash involving five drivers. The worst person in the incident is Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo. By Zhou The car overturned on contact, slid over the paved road on its taxiway, and was thrown into the roll by a gravel trap. Alfa Romeo then flies over the tire barrier to the catch fence. Zhou is fine after the collision.
The restart after the red flag was in full swing as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took on both Red Bulls in the first field of the round. The four cars ahead quickly made four laps when Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc crossed a curb in the Arena complex and made contact with Sergio Pérez. Pérez was forced to look for a new front wing.
Max Verstappen is still chasing Sainz for the lead. The reigning world champion couldn’t get past Ferrari’s wake to try to pass. Although on the tenth lap, Sainz will run wide past Becketts, opening the door for Verstappen to take the lead. The Red Bull driver only lost the lead two laps later. He punctured a tire while running through debris on the road and was forced into the pit.
With both Red Bull seemingly out of contention, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton suddenly became the winning challenger in the home race. Ferrari struggled to deal with Carlos Sainz’s slow pace as he rode with his teammate Leclerc. Hamilton threatened to jump even Ferrari after stopping on the final lap. A slow Mercedes stop, though, sent the British driver back into third place.
A late safety car caused by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine failed to stop the course for a ten lap sprint. Leclerc took the lead in hard compound tires with a damaged front wing while Sainz finished second, Hamilton finished third and Pérez finished fourth all stopped for soft tyres. Sainz will quickly be overpowered by his teammates and dash off to win the race. Leclerc was left to hold off Hamilton and Pérez for as long as possible. As they battled through the closing rounds, the trio that followed put on a memorable performance. Also of note, Haas’ Mick Schumacher scored the first points of his F1 career.
Race results – Top 10
- Carlos Sainz
- Sergio Perez
- Lewis Hamilton
- Charles Leclerc
- Fernando Alonso
- Lando Norris
- Max Verstappen
- Mick Schumacher
- Sebastian Vettel
- Kevin Magnussen
Max Verstappen leads the World Drivers Championship by more than 34 points Sergio Perez. Formula 1 will return next week for the Austrian Grand Prix.
