After China’s Guanyu Zhou was fortunate to enjoy a remarkable escape from a massive crash, where his halo cockpit protection device almost certainly saved his life, the record crowd of 142,000 at Silverstone saw an absolutely gutsy climax as the top four wheeled with a wheel. in a race without barriers at the flag. Ferrari’s Sainz only came out on top after a fierce, unpredictable battle to seal his first victory in his 150th meeting. He becomes, along with Fernando Alonso, only the second Spaniard to win an F1 race. Behind him Pérez secured an improbable second after dropping to 16th at one point and Hamilton produced one of his most determined performances to take third, equaling his best finish of the season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth with Alpine Alonso in fifth. Championship leader Max Verstappen could only manage seventh after suffering damage. He now leads Pérez by 34 points and Leclerc by 43 points in the title race. The old airfield with its fast, sweeping corners, so beloved by the drivers, allows them to compete decisively and this year they battled each other with absolute abandon and there were periods when the race hung in the balance, the winner unknown. A strong race ensued as Hamilton acknowledged. “This was very reminiscent of the go-kart days, I feel like it’s Formula 1 at its best,” he said. “That we were able to follow through and roll dice like that round after round is a testament to the direction we’re in now. I was just thankful to be in the fight because I haven’t been in this race for a while.” The crowd, roaring its approval, briefly dared to dream that Hamilton could pull off a victory against all odds. They shouldn’t, but they couldn’t be disappointed in his efforts, nor in the fun. Before that, however, there was the salutary reminder of the dangers these gladiators run in Zhou’s first-turn crash in the first round. The track fell silent as the race was immediately stopped and the slow process of extricating him from his wrecked car began. A collective sigh of relief echoed through the stands when he was declared unharmed. It was a visceral moment. More would follow. On the frantic restart, Sainz, who had initially passed Verstappen, was much bolder and more aggressive, picking off the Dutchman, with the front six drivers going wheel to wheel on the opening lap. It set the tone, but Pérez had to pit early for a new nose after damage in a collision with Leclerc, apparently relegating him to secondary positions. Zhou Guanyu emerged unscathed after a horrific crash early in the race. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images Verstappen stayed right with Sainz, who was forced into an unthinkable mistake at the exit of Chapel, letting the Dutchman pass the lead on lap 10. Another cruise to the flag would surely see the world champion? However, the usual script had long since been torn apart. Verstappen slowed, believing he had a puncture and had to pit. He left but reported he was still in trouble and it turned out he had a lot of floor damage from running over debris and couldn’t match the pace of the leaders. Through the pit stops a fierce race remained ahead, Sainz from Hamilton’s Leclerc and with Ferrari aware of the threat posed by the Mercedes driver they swapped Leclerc and Sainz, with the Monegasque driver enjoying better balance and longer rhythm. Surely now Sainz’s chances were gone too? However, the final act remained unplayed. The safety car was then called when Esteban Ocon stopped on track and Sainz and Hamilton pitted to take the soft tire for a late charge. Quick guide

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Thanks for your response. It was a vital moment with Ferrari opting to leave Leclerc out to retain track position. He left him on used hard tires for the final laps, setting up a grandstand finish. With 10 laps to go the sprint began and Leclerc and Sainz went wheel to wheel with the Spaniard taking the lead at Brooklands while Hamilton passed Pérez, who had slipped seamlessly and almost unnoticed through the field as the pair fought furiously. Pérez then attacked Leclerc and Hamilton brilliantly burst up the inside of the pair at the final corner, but was unable to hold onto the position as they came back at him at the Village and dropped to fourth once again. It was thrilling with the air of ducking and diving, the fast and furious of karting embraced wholeheartedly. Pérez eventually stuck a solid pass to Leclerc whose tires could not compete and Hamilton looked to go next. The pair endured a thrilling toe-to-toe corner until Hamilton finally got past Stowe. “It was an epic last lap,” Pérez said. “It reminded me of the junior series when we all compete and have a lot of fun.” Epic and entertaining, it described the match of the year without a doubt, one that will live long in the memory. Lando Norris was sixth for McLaren and Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen eighth and tenth for Haas. Sebastian Vettel was ninth for Aston Martin.