Horror becomes thriller as Sainz wins 2022 British GP: race report

F1

Carlos Sainz scored his debut win at Silverstone in a dramatic 2022 British Grand Prix where Zhou Guanyu escaped a terrifying crash and the closing laps saw a thrilling battle for the podium places

Carlos Sainz celebrates victory in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Ferrari

Sometimes a grand prix throws up such a shocking moment it’s going to overshadow everything, but it’s a testament to the quality of the race that followed that this year’s British Grand Prix will go down as a thriller despite Zhou Guanyu’s horror crash.

As Max Verstappen swept past polesitter Carlos Sainz to lead and Lewis Hamilton slotted into third place, in the background a car disappeared into the run-off area at Abbey at high speed, upside down.

With multiple cars limping with damage, the race was immediately red flagged, and it soon became clear that Zhou was involved. Cameras picked up George Russell – out of the race with damage – running across the gravel towards the crash site, where it later became clear he would climb on top of the tyre barrier.

Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu is flipped at the start of the 2022 British Grand Prix

Zhou's car flips after Russell contact

Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

Upside down Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu slides through gravel at the 2022 British Grand Prix

Zhou's car vaulted the barrier and hit the catch-fence

Remko de Waal/ANP via Getty Images

He was up there because Zhou’s car – having been turned over by a spinning Russell after Pierre Gasly had made light contact with the Mercedes – was resting against the outside of the barrier, trapping the driver inside.

Yes, the outside of the barrier.

The Alfa Romeo dug into the gravel and flipped up and over the tyre barrier, being stopped by debris fencing before dropping into gap between the fence and the barrier. It took a number of minutes for the driver to be safely removed, but remarkably he was unharmed.

George Russell stands on the tyre barrier to check on Zhou Guanyu after their crash at the 2022 British Grand Prix

Russell checks on Zhou

Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

Wreckage of Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Zhou's wrecked Alfa Romeo – minus roll-hoop

Xavi Bonilla / DPPI

“The marshals and the medical team at the track were fantastic with their quick response, and I also owe my thanks to the FIA and Formula 1 for all the work they have done, and they keep doing, to improve the safety of our cars,” Zhou said. “The Halo saved me today, and it goes to show that every step we take in improving our cars has real, valuable results.”

Zhou wasn’t the only driver in trouble during the first corner, though, as Sebastian Vettel ran into the back of Alex Albon, pitching the Williams into the inside barrier. After a head-on hit, Albon bounced back across the track and was hit by first Esteban Ocon and then Yuki Tsunoda.

Alex Albon Zhou Guanyu and George Russell crash in the 2022 British GP

Albon hits the wall (left) in the aftermath of the Zhou/Russell collision (right)

Grand Prix Photo

Albon was taken to the medical centre and then transferred by helicopter to Coventry Hospital for precautionary checks, from where he was later released.

There was more than just cars that needed clearing as a number of protestors had stormed the track on the opening lap, fortunately finding the race red-flagged already and cars traveling slowly. Northamptonshire Police arrested seven people, and were able to remove them from the circuit before the race resumed nearly an hour after the original start.

“I tried to hit it head-on but it got into the floor and destroyed the left side”

The speed at which the red flag had come out meant not all cars had passed the second safety car line on the original start, so the first starting grid, formed from the previous day’s wet qualifying session was used to define the order for a second attempt.

Sainz had learned his lesson and robustly defended from Verstappen in an impressive scrap, with Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc then fighting in their slipstreams, with Leclerc slotting into third after light contact.

Perez would be forced to pit to replace a damaged front wing but Leclerc continued without his endplate and kept pace with the two leaders, while Hamilton regained a position he’d lost from Lando Norris to run fourth.

Carlos Sainz leads at the restart of the 2022 British Grand Prix

Sainz defended his lead strongly at the restart

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Going in search of his first win, Sainz had the daunting sight of Verstappen getting larger in his mirrors and cracked under the pressure on lap 10, running wide at Becketts and handing over the lead.

It would be short-lived, though as Verstappen soon slowed and dropped behind the two Ferraris, diving into the pits as he reported a potential puncture. After taking on a fresh set of tyres, it was clear the problem was a bigger one, as he had hit some debris on the track.

“At the time I realised it was there, I could not drastically move left or right so I tried to hit it head on,” Verstappen said. “Normally then it just evaporates or explodes, but this time it got into the floor and it completely destroyed the left hand side underneath.

“From then on, I was just losing a lot of time, the car was really undrivable.”

Carlos Sainz ahead of Charles Leclerc in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Ferrari ran 1-2, which caused its own problems

Remko de Waal/ANP via Getty Images

With Verstappen and Perez seemingly out of the picture, Ferrari had the dream scenario of running one-two. But Sainz wasn’t able to match the pace of Leclerc behind him – despite the Monégasque’s front wing damage – and Hamilton was starting to close in.

After the first pit stops, for a number of laps Ferrari went back and forth with its drivers, allowing Hamilton to extend his first stint and open up a bigger lead. Eventually, Sainz was unable to match the target time he was given and followed an order to give up the place to his team-mate, with a slow stop for Hamilton leading to the Spaniard retaining a four-second advantage over the Mercedes.

While the race was still full of action – the AlphaTauris colliding at Village and both spinning – another twist was to follow. Verstappen was slipping back through the order and had just lost eighth place to Ocon when the Alpine stopped with a fuel pump issue, coming to a halt at Copse and causing a safety car with 12 laps to go.

It was a gift to Red Bull, as Perez had delivered an excellent recovery to run fourth and then got a free final pit stop to retain position.

Leclerc stayed out, but Ferrari brought Sainz in, with Hamilton following suit. While the Mercedes gave up its existing tyre offset, it was the right call as all drivers except Leclerc and Kevin Magnussen – not overly long on a set of mediums – took on fresh rubber.

Charles Leclerc leads Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton behind the safety car in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Leclerc led behind the safety car with hard tyres, but those behind had fresh soft tyres

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Ferrari tried to get Sainz to defend for Leclerc at the restart but the pole-sitter dismissed the request, and duly swept into the lead when the race resumed with ten laps remaining.

While Sainz pulled away, the battle behind was incredible. Perez overtook Hamilton on the restart but then struggled to get Leclerc, leading to one remarkable spell when the home favourite took advantage of the pair squabbling at Club to launch through the inside on the exit and pass both at once.

It was short-lived, as Perez regained the place at Village, and Leclerc then fought back through too. With four to go, the battle continued and Hamilton went round the outside of the struggling Ferrari at Luffield with what looked like a brilliant move, only for Leclerc to return the favour on the outside of Copse in a frankly sensational piece of racing.

Carlos Sainz ahead of Charles Leclerc in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Leclerc lost out at Silverstone also

DPPI

Lewis Hamilton fighting alongside Charles Leclerc in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Hamilton vs Leclerc crowned an afternoon of brilliant racing

DPPI

“Charles did a great job, what a great battle,” Hamilton said. “He is a very sensible driver – clearly a lot different to what I experienced last year. At Copse for example, the two of us went through there with no problem. What a battle.”

Hamilton would then use DRS to finally secure third, but admitted he had been envisaging a win prior to that.

“I did a good long [first] stint and I thought: ‘Yes, maybe we can fight for a win here.’ But unfortunately the gap was too big and the pitstop was not very quick. Then at the end, I just struggled with the warm-up and lost out to two cars.”

Lewis Hamilton waves to the Silverstone crowd after the 2022 British Grand Prix

Supporters were willing Hamilton to win

Mario Renzi/F1 via Getty Images

That win went the way of Sainz for the very first time, who had been left hoping the race would come back towards him when it looked like it was slipping away.

“To win my first race in front of this amazing crowd with Ferrari in Silverstone – one of my favourite circuits – is amazing,” Sainz said. “It wasn’t easy at all but it came, I kept fighting for it and it was about to come one day sooner or later and today was the day.

Related article

“It was probably mentally one of the toughest races … there was a lot of fighting going on. I wasn’t completely comfortable with the car … but I kept it cool, kept believing, kept within reach all of the time and when the opportunity came I grabbed it.”

Perez was understandably delighted with second given how his race had started, especially as he eventually came out on top of numerous tough battles.

“I was unfortunate with Charles on the first lap,” Perez said. “There was not much room for three cars and unfortunately I took the worst part of it. I got front wing damage, which on these cars … for me, I had no front end. So I was forced to pit and basically I went all the way to last, and just recovered from there, lap after lap.

“Those medium tyres were holding on pretty nicely and we got lucky with the safety car there at the end, which gave us a good opportunity to fight for the podium.”

The same couldn’t be said for Leclerc, who was “incredibly disappointed” to not convert impressive pace into victory, but he still held off Fernando Alonso to the flag. The double world champion had run a relatively quiet race behind Norris – similarly under the radar after his Hamilton fight – before the late safety car. Alpine got it right by pitting immediately while McLaren left Norris out for an extra lap, losing fifth place to its former driver.

Max Verstappen fights with Mick Schumacher in the 2022 British Grand Prix

Verstappen and Schumacher tussle for seventh

DPPI

Verstappen held on for seventh with a gutsy drive, repelling Mick Schumacher’s attacks in a thrilling late scrap that went all the way to the final corner. For Schumacher, the decision to back out when contact was likely was a sensible one, as he still picked up his first ever points in F1 with eighth ahead of Vettel and Magnussen.

“It’s great to be able to score points in a double points finish, which is something great and something we’ve been aiming for for a while now,” Schumacher said. “Now we’re just trying to, bit by bit, get some more points out of the others and try to overtake them too.

“It feels great, I would say I’m just looking forward to getting back to the team now and having fun.”

Fortunately, every driver could say similar after a dramatic day.

Lewis Hamilton sprays Carlos Sainz with champagne after the 2022 British Grand Prix

2022 British Grand Prix results

Position Driver Team Time Points
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 2hr 17min 50.311sec 25
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull +3.779sec 18
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +6.225sec 16*
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +8.546sec 12
5 Fernando Alonso Alpine +9.571sec 10
6 Lando Norris McLaren +11.943sec 8
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull +18.777sec 6
8 Mick Schumacher Haas +18.995sec 4
9 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +22.356sec 2
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas +24.590sec 1
11 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +26.147sec
12 Nicholas Latifi Williams +32.511sec
13 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +32.817sec
14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +40.910sec
15 Esteban Ocon Alpine DNF
16 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri DNF
17 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo DNF
18 George Russell Mercedes DNF
19 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo DNF
20 Alexander Albon Williams DNF

*Includes additional point for fastest lap