Sainz: You can only imagine the nerves at the final restart!

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has admitted to feeling very nervous as the race prepared to resume after a Safety Car intervention.

The Spaniard claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory at the 151st time of asking, winning a dramatic and intense British Grand Prix at Silverstone after overtaking Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc in the closing stages of the race.

Having started from pole position, Sainz looked set to settle for second place after being passed by Leclerc as the Monegasque proved the quicker driver in a tense duel with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

But a late Safety Car restart reset the race and allowed Sainz to dive in for fresh Soft tyres while Leclerc was stuck on aging Hard tyres for the final 10 laps of the race. Sainz quickly despatched Leclerc and was able to pull away while both Sergio Perez and Hamilton managed to clear Leclerc to push him off the podium.

With Sainz wrapped in a Spanish flag as he spoke to media as an F1 race winner, he said it was a day he’d never forget.

“I don’t know what to say,” he beamed.

“It’s amazing. First race win, 150 races later, with Ferrari in Silverstone – I cannot ask for more. It’s a very special day, a day that I will never forget. [It’s been] a very special weekend in general.

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“Thank you everyone for the support, for the cheers. Lewis was on it today, I heard – it was one of his days, but we managed to hold on and I’m incredibly happy!”

Having struggled for pace in an