Carlos Sainz wins thrilling British Grand Prix from Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz sealed the first Formula One victory of his career in a thrilling British Grand Prix at Silverstone, on his 150th race start.

Sainz started the race on pole position after a superb lap in wet conditions in qualifying, with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc rounding off the top three on the grid. Lewis Hamilton started from fifth.

Within the first 10 seconds of the race getting underway, there was drama. George Russell’s Mercedes clipped the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu. The crash saw the Chinese driver's car flip over, skidding across the track and going straight into the gravel. It then bounced up and over the barrier and into the safety fence.

Thankfully, after initial concern about the welfare of Guanyu, his team informed the rest of the paddock that he was conscious and out of the car, and being checked over at the on-track medical centre after leaving the circuit on a stratcher.

The crash saw both drivers retire from the race. Further first-lap incidents involving Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda saw the Williams driver also have his afternoon end prematurely. Albon was subsequently taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

The incidents resulted in a red flag, which delayed the restart of the race by almost an hour. Eventually, the grand prix got back underway with a standing start in grid order.

Sainz led the race the at the end of the first lap after the restart, with Leclerc and Sergio Perez both sustaining front wing damage after contact into turn 4. The Red Bull driver was forced into the pits early on for repairs, but Leclerc's Ferrari was deemed to have only minor damage, meaning he could continue.

Then, on lap 10, Verstappen made his move on Sainz down the Hangar straight to take the lead of the race, after the Ferrari driver ran off the track at Becketts.

The Dutchman’s lead did not last very long as three laps later, he sustained a puncture and was forced to dive into the pits for a fresh set of hard tyres. Sainz retook the lead, with Leclerc not far behind in second place.

Red Bull then informed their No. 1 driver that he also had aerodynamic damage to the rear of his car, effectively ruling him out of any chance of a podium finish. Verstappen did not hide his displeasure about the situation on the team radio.

Ferrari then opted to bring Sainz in to the pits for a set of hard tyres on lap 21, leaving Leclerc to try and increase the gap further to Hamilton behind him. Four laps later, Leclerc pitted from the lead to try and offset a potential undercut by the Mercedes driver. The British driver subsequently took the lead of the race, and stayed out on the medium tyres, which he reported to be working well despite how worn they were.

Ferrari then made the call on the pit wall to swap their drivers on lap 31, with Leclerc complaining on team radio that he was quicker than his teammate, which he claimed could cost him track position to Hamilton once the Mercedes driver emerged from his pit stop. There was concern that Ferrari had left this too late, as just a couple of laps earlier the drivers were told that they were allowed to fight for track position without any interference.

However, when Mercedes opted to call Hamilton into the pits on lap 34, a slow stop cost the Briton valuable time, and he emerged three seconds behind Sainz, and in third place. The undercut had not worked.

The pendulum then swung again on lap 39, as a safety car was deployed. Esteban Ocon’s Alpine pulled over to the side of the track with a fuel pump problem. It meant yet another strategy gamble for the teams on the pit wall with not long left until the end of the race.

Ferrari quickly brought Sainz into the pits for a set of soft tyres, with Mercedes also deciding to do the same with Hamilton. Oddly, Leclerc was told to stay out on the medium compound, and did not make a ‘free’ pit stop under the safety car.

We were treated to a nine-lap shootout for the victory once Leclerc got the field going again on lap 43 once the safety car was back in the pits, but Sainz made it clear to his team on the radio that he was in the better position to secure the win compared to his teammate.

The race sprung back into action within the first few corners of the restart, as Sainz took the lead from Leclerc with a pass down the Wellington straight, running his teammate off the track. Perez, meanwhile, got past Hamilton and slotted into P3, after the Mercedes driver struggled to get his new soft tyres up to temperature.

The next couple of laps saw some incredible wheel-to-wheel racing as the fight for the podium places continued, with Perez getting past both Hamilton and Leclerc again to move up to second place. The lack of grip on Leclerc's worn medium tyres then meant Hamilton also got past the Ferrari into Stowe corner to claim the third podium place.

Sainz pulled away from the rest of the pack and took the chequered flag by 3.7 seconds ahead of Perez to seal his first win in Formula 1, with jubilant celebrations in the Ferrari garage.

It was also a positive day for Haas' Mick Schumacher. Despite being pipped on the line by Verstappen for seventh place, the German finished in a respectable eighth to score his first World Championship points.

There is no doubt here that Sergio Perez merits this award, especially after what happened to him after the restart following the red flag. Front wing damage after a collision with Charles Leclerc looked to all but end his chances of a podium finish. However, the late safety car really worked in his favour, and the Red Bull man can be satisfied with his afternoon's work after effectively coming from the back of the grid to secure a brilliant podium finish.

LAP 1/52 - We already have a red flag on the first lap! Verstappen takes the lead of the race from Sainz, with Hamilton leapfrogging Leclerc into the first corner. However, there is drama behind, as a car goes upside down into the barrier as a bad crash unfolds - that is Zhou Guanyu in the Alfa Romeo! Many other cars were also involved such as George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon. Guanyu was clipped by Russell, and his Alfa flipped. Nasty accident. We are hearing that Guanyu is OK.

LAP 10/52 - VERSTAPPEN TAKES THE LEAD! - There it is! The Ferrari of Sainz makes an error going into the Hangar straight and goes off track and onto the grass! That gives Verstappen what he was looking for, and the Red Bull driver sails into the lead of this Grand Prix!

LAP 13/52 - DRAMA! - Verstappen has a puncture! He is going really slowly, and Sainz gets past him! He is told to box! He ran wide at Copse and Sainz gets him on the Hangar straight! Luckily, there is not too long there until the end of the lap, and Verstappen dives into the pits. He emerges back out in P6. Sainz now leads, Leclerc is now in P2.

LAP 39/52 - OCON HAS PROBLEMS! SAFETY CAR - Just a couple of laps after getting past Verstappen, Ocon pulls over on the old start/finish straight and stops on the track! Verstappen and Schumacher have got straight past. Safety car deployed! It is a fuel pump issue for the Alpine.

LAP 40/52 - BOTH HAMILTON AND SAINZ PIT! - Hamilton and Sainz have stopped for soft tyres and Leclerc stays out on the hards! The leader of this race may be compromised as a result!

LAP 43/52 - GREEN FLAG! - Sainz takes the lead! He gets past Leclerc and almost runs him off the track on the Wellington straight! Hamilton, meanwhile has struggled to get away, and Perez gets past him! He is into third place! Hamilton is really struggling here!

LAP 46/52 - INCREDIBLE RACING! - Unbelievable! Leclerc leaves the track going into Club, and Hamilton leapfrogs both him and Perez on the start/finish straight! Hamilton then goes wide into Village, and Perez and Leclerc both jump him down the Wellington straight! Alonso is now right on the tail of the Mercedes! Meanwhile, this looks like Sainz will secure his first win!

LAP 48/52 - MORE INCREDIBLE RACING! - Hamilton gets past Leclerc into Luffield on the outside as Leclerc goes wide into Brooklands! Just a few hundred yards down the road, the Ferrari man is back neck-a-neck with the Mercedes into Copse corner, and regains the place! However, Hamilton has DRS down the Hangar straight, and finally gets back into 3rd into Stowe corner!