Carlos Sainz secures first F1 victory in British Grand Prix after Zhou Guanyu survives dramatic crash
The race had to be restarted after Zhou’s car overturned and crashed into a fence that was cut shortly after the start.
It caused a lengthy delay but the driver was eventually declared healthy after being evaluated at the medical center.
After the race restarted, Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had their cars damaged and dropped off in pecking order allowing Ferrari’s Sainz and Charles Leclerc to establish a strong lead. .
But a safety car with 10 laps to go allowed Perez to make contact again and both he and Lewis Hamilton overtook Leclerc to finish the exciting race for second and third respectively.
Sainz, who also passed his teammates behind the safety car, tried to suppress his emotions after crossing the front line.
“I don’t know what to say, it’s amazing,” an emotional Sainz said after the race. “It was a very special day that I will never forget.
“It wasn’t easy, I struggled quite a bit to keep my balance […] but even with all that i still believe. “
Horrible accident
There’s a lot of pre-race excitement with so many global stars busy with the grid ahead of kick-off.
However, as soon as the race started, that excitement turned to nerves after the big crash stopped progress on the first lap.
The footage shows Zhou’s Alfa Romeo flipped upside down in a dramatic incident that also stars George Russell and Pierre Gasly.
Zhou’s car skidded backwards on the tracks and overturned over the tire barrier before crashing into the fence.
While waiting anxiously for the news, the doctors took care of the Chinese driver and he was eventually put on a stretcher in an ambulance to avoid serious injuries.
Williams Racing driver Alex Albon, who was involved in a separate collision as a result of the incident, was taken to Coventry hospital for a precautionary check-up.
After a long wait, the race started again with a starting net in the original grid positions – that is even though Verstappen overtook Sainz in the first start and Hamilton initially jumped from fifth to fifth. father.
The reboot is clean but not without drama. Ferrari and Red Bull cars battled each other for the top four with Perez damaging his car and falling back onto the field after a forced pitstop.
Sainz initially did well to hold off Verstappen but the Red Bull driver soon pushed ahead and took the familiar lead.
However, not long after, the defending champion F1 appeared again and damaged the rear of the car.
After a pit stop and with his performance thwarted, his race went very well to the satisfaction of some at Silverstone who mocked the driver over the weekend.
When it looked like the two Ferraris were going to race clearly, the safety car pulled together again allowing Perez and Hamilton to battle on the podium.
Sainz hopes to continue his first win in the sport with another in Austria next week.
