Ferrari
After 150 attempts, Carlos Sainz is finally a Formula 1 winner. The Spaniard took his first pole position on Saturday and turned it into a win on Sunday – but it wasn’t just a run from lights to flag for Sainz, who struggled for pace at times and was ordered to let team-mate Charles Leclerc through as Ferrari tried to cover up a threat from Lewis Hamilton. But a late Safety Car gave Sainz a chance to pit for new soft tyres, which he used full force to pass Leclerc again and then race to victory.
As for Leclerc, Ferrari chose not to pit him during the late Safety Car period – when he was leading the race – leaving him vulnerable to an attack from Sainz, as well as Sergio Perez and Hamilton, who all passed him, for to leave the Monegasque quarters at the flag.
READ MORE: ‘It’s about time’ – Sainz reveals relief after 150-race bid to win at Silverstone ends
Carlos Sainz, 1st
“What a day! To win my first F1 GP and with Scuderia Ferrari in front of this incredible crowd, at one of my favorite tracks, Silverstone, is literally incredible.
“Mentally it was one of the hardest races I’ve ever done: dealing with the gaps, a lot of battles on the track, the second start. We struggled with understeer and in the second stint we had to save fuel to get to the end, so lifting and coasting put me at risk from the cars behind. However, as soon as the Safety Car came out we knew it was paramount to change the tires as mine were quite old.
“On the restart I had fresher tires but we were fighting for 1-2 as a team so I tried to be as clean as possible when overtaking Charles. Thanks to the fuel saved behind the Safety Car, we were able to go all the way and I finally got my first win. I will enjoy it today, but we will immediately start working on the preparation for the next one.”
Charles Leclerc, 4th
“I didn’t finish where I wanted, so it was a disappointing race for me. There were times when I really had to be on the edge to keep my position, fighting others who were on Softs, which wasn’t easy in the end. It’s a shame we didn’t bring more points for our team today, but sometimes that’s how it goes.
“As disappointed as I am, it shouldn’t take away from an incredible first win for Carlos. It’s a moment he’ll never forget, a dream come true for any pilot and I hope he enjoys it!”
Mattia Binoto, Team Leader and Managing Director
“To return to victory, especially at such a demanding track as Silverstone, is particularly pleasing and confirms that we have worked well this season, both on the track and back in Maranello. Carlos had a great weekend in which he also secured his first pole position. He was strong and consistent throughout and the win was well deserved.
“On the other hand, it’s a shame we scored less points than we could have with Charles, who when the Safety Car came out was comfortably in the lead. Facing Charles at that point, which would have put him behind Hamilton, who would have been out on fresh hard tires at that point, didn’t seem like the right choice, so we decided to leave him off the track. Unfortunately, he was at a tire disadvantage on the restart. We would also like to congratulate Mick Schumacher for scoring his first championship points. They are well deserved.
“Finally, it is worth emphasizing once again the efforts of the FIA and Formula 1 in terms of safety. The fact that none of the pilots involved in the launch incidents suffered serious injuries confirms how effective the current safety measures are.”
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Race winner Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari celebrates on the podium during the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 03, 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Carlos Sainz of Spain driving the (55) Ferrari F1-75 ahead of Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Ferrari F1-75 during the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 03, 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving (16) Ferrari F1-75 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 during the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 03 , 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Joe Portlock – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Red Bull
Max Verstappen leapfrogged pole-sitter Carlos Sainz off the line, only for the race to be immediately red-flagged, dropping him back to his P2 spot on the grid for the restart. He passed Sainz again when the Ferrari man got wide in the opening stages, but just a few laps later a puncture relegated him to sixth, while a damaged floor meant he struggled all afternoon and eventually came home in 7th.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was forced into the pits for a new front wing after contact on the opening lap, but then worked his way back up the grid and engaged in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel race with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the final laps before sealing brilliant P2.
READ MORE: Perez enjoys ‘epic’ final laps at Silverstone after recovering from last to P2
Max Verstappen, 7th
“Seventh place is a good result considering the damage I had on the car and with Checo on the podium we scored some good points for the team. Of course I was hoping for more, but today I just had no luck. I looked at the car during a red flag and the entire lower left side was cracked. I hit a huge wreck; I think it was carbon. While riding it felt like a puncture as I had no balance and a lot of oversteer.
“The car was difficult to drive, I tried to find a good aero balance but it was difficult. I understand Alex is in the hospital for check ups so I hope he is ok. It’s never nice to see these things and today proved once again that the halo is a huge safety improvement, I think Joe would have been in a different situation without it.”
Sergio Perez, 2nd
“It’s a good day for us and the team after such a messy weekend for us. Physically I wasn’t 100 percent this week and after the first lap I was last, so second place is a great result. I was so unlucky on the first lap to make contact with Charles that I broke my front wing and had to drop to the back. So we had to fight for it and it feels good to have a result like this.
“I’m also very happy for Carlos and to share his first win with him is a nice moment for him and his family. I really enjoyed the race today, we fought hard and fair and it felt like my karting days. Everyone was pushing really hard and going wheel after wheel, my heart rate was pretty high in those last laps. It was a race where it was important not to give up.”
Christian Horner, Team Leader
“It was a phenomenal performance today from Checo after the front wing end plate damage on the first lap, we had to change the nose and his drive back through the field was just sensational. He benefited from the safety car which allowed us to put on a new set of tyres, but his pace and race skills were just outstanding.
“For Max, he took the lead and was in a commanding position, but unfortunately some debris caused a lot of damage to the floor of the car, resulting in a huge loss of downforce. It was a shame because I think it would have been a fantastic race for him today, but every point counts and he fought as hard for P7 as he did for the win.
“The biggest takeaway today is that all the drivers are in reasonable shape given the scale of the crashes we saw today and we hope to see Alex and Joe battling it out in Austria next week.”
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 on track during the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 03, 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Sergio Perez of Mexico drives the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 during the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 03, 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Second placed Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 03, 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Mercedes
With new improvements to the W13, Lewis Hamilton looked back in the chase at Silverstone and could have taken the win. He had a spectacular battle with Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc over the last 10 laps that will live long in the fans’ memory, and ended up finishing third after a crowd-pleasing drive at his home race.
In contrast, George Russell was caught in a multi-car crash on the first lap and jumped out of his car to check on Zhou Guanyu, who had also crashed. His team was then not allowed to repair his car for the restart as he recorded his first DNF of the year.
READ MORE: ‘It was F1 at its best’ says Hamilton after battling for P3 at home GP
Lewis Hamilton, 3rd
“I gave it my all…
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