Ferrari’s Sainz takes his first F1 win in Silverstone thriller

SILVERSTONE, July 3

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Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed his first Formula One victory in a thrilling British Grand Prix halted by a first-lap crash and with the added mayhem of a track invasion by environmental protesters. Red Bull’s Mexican Sergio Perez was runner-up, 3.779 seconds behind the Spaniard, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes in his home race and taking fastest lap for a bonus point.

Sainz’s win had looked unlikely despite him starting on pole position for the first time and in his 150th race.

The victory ended a run of six successive Red Bull victories and made Sainz only the second Spaniard to win a Grand Prix after double world champion Fernando Alonso. The last nine laps were frantic, full of overtaking as the safety car came in and Perez, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Hamilton fought for second.

The race was red-flagged and halted for an hour after Chinese rookie Guanyu Zhou’s Alfa Romeo became wedged on its side between the tyre wall and catch fence on Lap 1. He was later given the medical all-clear.

Jehan’s tough weekend

Indian racer Jehan Daruvala endured a tough weekend in the Formula 2 championship as he finished seventh in the feature race. The 23-year-old, who had finished 8th in the sprint race yesterday, earned seven points. — Agencies