Formula 1, Sainz's Ferrari triumphs at Silverstone

Formula 1, Sainz's Ferrari triumphs at Silverstone. Leclerc pays for his choices: he is fourth.

Accidents, strategies, wrong choices, twists. There is everything in the Great Britain GP which gave Sainz his first career victory (“Yes, let’s go” in his final radio team).

The Spaniard had started from pole position but the success came at the end of a GP that was essentially the result of a good choice: changing the tyres 13 laps from the end; thanks to the yellow flag for Ocon, everyone inside to fit the soft tyres except the leader Leclerc who remained on the track with the hard ones, a choice that did not pay off.

Sainz wins on Perez and Hamilton. Only fourth Leclerc who, once again, tastes victory and then closes disappointed under the checkered flag. Fifth Alonso, then Norris, Verstappen, Schumacher, Vettel, Magnussen. An incredible GP to tell.

Crash at the start and immediate red flag at Silverstone. Big accident with four drivers involved: Russell, Albon, Tsunoda and Zhou whose car flies following the pile-up caused by an Alpha Tauri that hits Russell in turn against Zhou's Alfa Romeo. The Chinese driver is Albon in the medical center fortunately without consequences.

During the first lap, there was also an itrack invasion by some people at the time the race had already been stopped with the red flag. At the time of the stop the standings read: Vertsappen, Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Alonso, Perez (Verstappen with the softs starts well and beats Sainz at the start, while Hamilton takes third place from Leclerc) but the starting grid at the beginning of the race is restarted and not with the virtual standings at the time of the red flag as the first lap is not completed.

Ferrari then takes off again in pole position with Sainz ahead of Verstappen (who changes strategy and switches to mediums), Leclerc and Perez. At the second start the Ferrari drivers hold on to their respective positions but on the tenth lap Verstappen passes and becomes the leader of the GP with Sainz who one lap later loses the car and goes off the track due to oversteer.

Plot twist on lap 12: Puncture for Verstappen (caused by a piece of carbon), the Dutchman loses the lead and returns to the pits. Sainz in the lead of the GP, Leclerc second who asks the team to order Sainz to give up the first position, but at the moment the situation does not change while Hamilton is closing in on the Monegasque.

On lap 21 pit stop Sainz who fits hard tyres and tries to go all the way. Hamilton impresses, hot on Leclerc's heels at the pace of fastest lap after fastest lap. On lap 26 Leclerc pits amidst the roar of Silverstone for Hamilton leader. He rejoins the track just behind Sainz with hard tyres that are 5 laps fresher than his teammate. Hamilton continues to fly in the lead; Leclerc puts Sainz in his sights.

Twenty laps from the end Ferrari team order: Leclerc passes Sainz and starts chasing the Englishman. Slow pit stop for Mercedes. The seven-time world champion returns to the track in 3rd place with a gap of 4″5 from Leclerc and 3″5 from Sainz. Verstappen eighth. Perez climbs up to fourth place with the other Red Bull. Leclerc is there.

Record lap: 1'31″7 for the Monegasque who gains 7 tenths on Sainz and 3 on Hamilton. Thirteen laps from the end, a dramatic turn of events. Ocon's Alpine breaks down. Yellow flag: Sainz and Hamilton take advantage, stop and put on new soft tyres. Leclerc instead stays out with used hard tyres. Team radio Leclerc: “It will be tough”.

Leclerc precedes Sainz, Hamilton, Perez, Alonso, Norris, Vettel, Magnussen, Verstappen, Schumacher. The yellow flag comes off with ten laps to go. Perez is very aggressive and tries to attack Hamilton, moving into third position, while Sainz takes advantage of the new soft tyre and passes Leclerc, taking the lead.

Sainz tries to escape with 2″ on Leclerc who acts as a stopper for the various Perez, Hamilton, Alonso and Norris. 8th Verstappen. Very tough battle: Sainz flies and Leclerc gives way first to Perez, then to Hamilton. Spanish triumph at Silverstone for the first career victory. F1 returns on July 10 with the Austrian GP.