The race that we were able to experience at the Silverstone circuit was impressive, on a weekend in which Sainz got his first pole position and his first victory in F1.
When he got out of the car, the first thing Sainz said was: “I don’t know what to say, it’s been incredible. My first victory 150 races later, with Ferrari, and at Silverstone. Thank you all. Lewis was there but I was able to contain him. It wasn’t easy, I struggled a lot with the car during the first stint, Max pushed me in those high-speed corners, but I believed he could do it. The safety car gave us that opportunity to stop and we did. A lot of nerves in that second start after the safety car, and then getting the victory”.
And there was the key to victory, at the start of the safety car. Sainz was running second behind his teammate and took the opportunity to enter the pits and put on some soft tires, the same as Hamilton, Pérez, and Alonso did. Upon his return to the track, he was at an impressive pace and overtook Leclerc. That was how he crossed the finish line, first, ahead of Pérez, Hamilton, Leclerc, and Alonso.
“It’s a special day that I will never forget,” Sainz continued. “Thanks to everyone for the support. Silverstone is a special place for me, first victory in another category and pole, and twelve years later I get the victory with Ferrari. It’s a special place for me and thanks to the fans for being a part of it and cheering me on.”
And Sainz then went on to comment: “I couldn’t have finished better and it couldn’t have been more difficult because of everything that happened in the race. We suffered, but I kept my head down and calm, trying to stay in the race in case anything happened. Indeed it ended up happening, and we have taken advantage of the opportunities. The good thing is that today we have also won many battles on the track, with Max at the start, then with that little mistake…
Sainz also had a few words of thanks to the fans who have supported him so much over the years: “Thank you for your support in all these years since I came to F1 until now, the number of people who follow me and who support me, who send messages… Enjoy it, because it’s a great day for me, for Spain, because I’m lucky enough to race for Ferrari and be able to enjoy it to the fullest and take advantage of it now”.
