Sainz Jr’s performance wasn’t the only thing that turned heads on Saturday.
SILVERSTONE, England—Carlos Sainz Jr. capitalized on his best practice time on Friday in advance of Sunday’s British Grand Prix by taking his first career pole on Saturday. His 1:40:983 time put him ahead of Max Verstappen and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Carlos Sainz Jr.: I was struggling a lot with the standing water on the intermediates. There was a lot more standing water on the racing line, and it was very easy to catch snaps and lose the lap. In the end, I put together a lap that I didn’t think was anything special, but I just put it on the board and see how it is, and it was pole position, which came as a bit of a surprise.
Sainz Jr. found his rhythm just minutes away from the end of the final session as Verstappen slowed down midway through the middle of the circuit after spinning out earlier. Leclerc did the same thing just minutes before the Dutchman, ruining a good chance to move up further.
In addition to Sainz Jr.’s unexpected performance, another surprise came from drivers who have never placed in the top ten in qualifying. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu ended up ninth, improving his time for the second race in a row and beating teammate Valtteri Bottas. Then there was Nicholas Latifi, the target of rumors that he might lose his seat at Williams. Instead of being replaced, Latifi participated in qualifying and finished in the top ten (tenth) for the first time this season and career.
For the rest of the grid, Sergio Perez finished fourth in the second Red Bull, while Mercedes placed both Britons–Lewis Hamilton and George Russell–fifth and eighth, respectively. Fernando Alonso continued his top ten efforts by finishing seventh in the Alpine. Another home driver, Lando Norris, took sixth in his McLaren.
Aston Martin and Haas F1 lost both drivers in the opening session with Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll, Mick Schumacher, and Kevin Magnussen. Williams’s Alex Albon had the same fate. The Alpha Tauri pair of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, along with McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, Bottas, and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, followed in the second session.
The weather conditions should be the same on Sunday, which could make things interesting. The race will air in the U.S. on ESPN2 at 9:55 AM Eastern time.
