Carlos Sainz wins British Grand Prix after incident-packed Silverstone thriller

Carlos Sainz won a wild and wacky British Grand Prix which saw Zhou Guanyu survive a horror opening-lap crash and protesters invade the track at Silverstone.

Sainz fought his way past Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in a brilliant 10-lap shootout to the chequered flag following a safety car period to claim his maiden Formula One win.

Sergio Perez finished second, with Lewis Hamilton third after he forced his way around Leclerc with four laps of the 52 laps remaining.

Sainz, Perez and Hamilton all took on fresh tyres ahead of the safety car re-start, but Ferrari left Leclerc out on old rubber and the championship challenger was left in no man’s land, dropping from first to fourth, and dealing his title hopes a blow on a day where Max Verstappen limped home in seventh after he sustained a puncture and damage to his Red Bull bodywork.

A record crowd of 142,000 fans in Northamptonshire were treated to the race of the season which started in extraordinary fashion.

Rookie Zhou was approaching the 160mph opening Abbey corner when British driver George Russell tagged the right rear of the Chinese driver’ machine, sending him on to his roof and sliding out of control.

Upside down, Zhou continued through the gravel at high speed with sparks flying before he slammed into the tyre barrier and was launched into the fencing. Fans and photographers ducked for cover with Zhou’s Alfa Romeo lodged on its side, between the tyre wall and the fencing.

An extraction team rushed to Zhou and the 23-year-old, in just his 10th race, was carefully removed and taken away in an ambulance to the medical centre before being discharged.

Russell was also seen dashing to check on his friend, the Williams driver Alex Albon, who was caught up in the