The British GP had it all this Sunday (3). Carlos Sainz won the best race of the season so far. Sergio Pérez and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium. But the race was also marked by a strong accident at the start. Check out what each driver on the grid said after the British stage of F1
Formula 1 witnessed on Sunday (3) the best race of the 2022 season so far. The British GP had everything that was possible: strong accidents, a fight for victory, beautiful overtaking and the title contenders far from the podium. The victory was taken by Carlos Sainz, who took advantage of a providential safety car in the final part of the race. It was the Spaniard's first triumph in the biggest of motor sports categories.
Sainz celebrated his success by sharing the podium with Sergio Pérez and Lewis Hamilton. The Mexican driver had a great recovery race, after his car was damaged in a collision with Charles Leclerc on the first lap. The Mercedes' Briton, on the other hand, raised the crowd with a combative performance. Hamilton even fought for the victory.
Leclerc, betrayed by a bad Ferrari strategy, finished fourth, followed by Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris. Championship leader Max Verstappen faced problems during the race and was only seventh. Even so, he scored important points in the fight for the championship. The scoring zone also included Mick Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Kevin Magnussen.
The British stage was eventful and very competitive, but it was also marked by a serious accident at the start. Alfa Romeo's Guanyu Zhou was hit by George Russell, who had earlier been touched by Pierre Gasly. Because of the speed, the Chinese driver's car overturned and flew under the tire barrier. The driver suffered nothing, mainly because of the halo. Alex Albon was also involved in a collision with Vettel and abandoned the car. But he had to visit the hospital as a precaution.
Check out everything the F1 drivers had to say about the British GP below:
CARLOS SAINZ, WINNER: Sainz says he "believed until the end" in victory in England and highlights duel with Hamilton
SERGIO PÉREZ, SECOND: Pérez celebrates recovery in England and highlights "epic battle" with Hamilton and Leclerc
LEWIS HAMILTON, THIRD: Hamilton hails Mercedes for England podium: "We are closer to the rivals
CHARLES LECLERC, FOURTH: Leclerc admits disappointment, but congratulates Sainz for "incredible win" in England
FERNANDO ALONSO, FIFTH: Alonso derides FIA, but celebrates "great result" with fifth place in England
LANDO NORRIS, SIXTH: Norris laments McLaren's mistake that cost him fifth place in England: "We gave it away for free
MAX VERSTAPPEN, SEVENTH: Verstappen blames wreckage for problem in England: "Car was falling apart
MICK SCHUMACHER, EIGHTH: Schumacher celebrates first F1 points: "I can focus on what matters now"
SEBASTIAN VETTEL, NINTH: Vettel celebrates recovery and explains crash into Albon in England: "Everybody braked"
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN, TEN: "I don't think we could have waited for more. I think in the first stint we didn't have a great pace, at least compared to the second stint - where we found the pace. I lost some positions in the first stint annoyingly, because then we had the safety car at the end. We were asked to stop both cars, but I made the decision to stay on the track - I don't know if it was the right or wrong decision - but if it was the wrong decision, it was the one I made. With two cars in the points though, you have to be happy with that: getting a good amount of points at this stage of the year is very good. We'll leave here with a big smile on our faces and with great motivation for the races to come."
LANCE STROLL, 11th: "I think we had a reasonably positive race. The cars showed much better pace than yesterday, so it's a shame we couldn't score some points. We're still learning and understanding the updates, but based on today's race, I see potential for the next few races. I'm happy that [Guanyu] Zhou and Alex [Albon] are okay after the crash at the start."
NICHOLAS LATIFI, 12th: "From the first lap, we were fighting our way up the pack. At the beginning, I was surprised how much I could keep up with the cars ahead, but there was actually a little 'train' with DRS activated that was keeping me there, because the cars behind were much faster. It felt really good to actually contest the race in the middle of the cake. Unfortunately, we didn't have the pace at the end and I needed to manage the car at the end. The car is lacking in downforce compared to the others, so we were losing time in the high-speed corners - which wasn't helped by some floor damage today. We struggled, but it wasn't to be today. It's frustrating in the end, but overall it was a positive weekend."
DANIEL RICCIARDO, 13th: "First of all, I'm happy to hear that the drivers are okay after that accident on the first lap. Regarding our race, the car just didn't seem to operate with the same level of grip as the others. I could feel it in the tires when trying to carry speed. It was a bit strange, so we have an investigation to do. Then we had a problem with the DRS, which meant I couldn't use it after lap 31 - which was also to be regretted. Obviously, it's tough to overtake with all that, but we just weren't fast enough today. It was a bit of a lonely afternoon."
YUKI TSUNODA, 14th: "It was a tough day. The crash at the start was unavoidable, a car passed in front of me and there was nothing I could do. Luckily, I only damaged my front wing and was able to return to the pits at the red flag, lining up again at the restart. Unfortunately, a little later Pierre [Gasly] and I touched. I have to review the footage, but at the moment I think I could have waited for another opportunity to overtake him. I was fast at the entrance of the corner and thought I could overtake him, but I didn't expect Pierre to close the door. It was my mistake and I want to apologize especially to the team. At that moment, my car had some damage that made the rest of my race very difficult."
ESTEBAN OCON, 15th: "The most important thing to take away from this race is that Zhou is okay after that horrible crash. It happened right in front of me and I was lucky to avoid most of it, but then I suffered damage to the right side of the car in contact with Alex [Albon]. I have to say, they did an amazing job fixing the car and getting ready for the restart, so thank you and congratulations to them [mechanics]. We did well on the restart and the pace was good. A fuel pump problem on lap 38 ended our race, unfortunately, and we had to retire the car. After all, it was not a smooth weekend, with some problems in Q2 and today during the race. So we need to look at all of this more closely. It was a very learning weekend, and I'm happy for the team, with a solid score from Fernando [Alonso]."
PIERRE GASLY, 16th: "After a difficult start to the weekend, we managed to improve the situation a bit in qualifying. After the restart, I was on track for a very good seventh place. But after the accident with Yuki [Tsunoda], my rear wing was damaged and we had to take the car out. Every point is precious, especially in a season like this, so I'm disappointed with this result because it was an avoidable accident. The bang from Zhou's crash early in the race was scary, it was shocking to see him upside down, but I'm happy to hear that he's okay. That's the most important thing."
VALTTERI BOTTAS, 17th: "First and most important, the main thing today is that Zhou is okay. It was a hard crash, and I am relieved that nothing serious happened and that he has already been cleared by the FIA. Today we had further evidence of how the Halo is one of F1's great innovations and how much safety has increased in recent years. Regarding my race, we had many opportunities after the restart, but we had a gearbox problem - so I had to stop to avoid further damage. It was unlucky, because we had a good pace and could have scored a lot of points. Even though it was a tough weekend, we can still take some positives from it: the pace we showed on the track was a good sign, and I think we can be competitive in Austria next weekend."
GEORGE RUSSELL, ABANDON: Russell blames hard tires for poor start before "horrific crash" with Zhou
GUANYU ZHOU, ABANDON: Zhou extols F1 safety after England crash: "Halo saved me"
ALEXANDER ALBON, ABANDON: Albon celebrates that "we are all okay" after strong start crash at Silverstone