Ferrari, one of F1’s most iconic teams, has a loud, proud, and loyal fanbase. In 2022, its drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, met one such superfan in Silverstone who was especially excited to meet the Spanish driver. Normally, one would expect the fan to wish for a win, right? Well, this fan had a different request—they asked Sainz to simply finish on the last step of the podium and the Madrid-born driver over-delivered.
For Sainz, it was a shocking encounter. He could not wrap his head around why an admirer would not want him to get his maiden race win. In a recent segment, Sainz discussed the same with Leclerc.
“Do you know what is my funniest moment with a fan?” Sainz asked the Monegasque to which he responded with laughter saying, “Yes yes yes, Silverstone for your first victory.”
Leclerc then explained, “The guy sounded like the biggest fan of Carlos like Go and Win, we love you, motivate you for the win, but no, do P3.” And Sainz was like, “Why P3?” as Leclerc burst into laughter at the fan’s request.
Thankfully for Sainz, he didn’t have to settle for P3 that day. Starting from pole position after securing his first career pole, Sainz managed to hold his nerve in challenging conditions.
CARLOS SAINZ WINS THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX!! pic.twitter.com/WkIUsDPcKr
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 3, 2022
The race began with a major incident on the first lap involving multiple cars, which led to a red flag. Once the race resumed, the drama intensified as several drivers fought for the lead.
Sainz faced tough competition from teammate Charles Leclerc, who was nursing a damaged front wing, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, and Lewis Hamilton. A late safety car reshuffled the pack, allowing Sainz to capitalize by switching to fresh tires, while Leclerc was left to defend on worn rubber.
In the end, Sainz finished just 3.7 seconds behind Perez in P2 and 6.2 seconds ahead of Hamilton in P3, while Leclerc, compromised by strategy, had to settle for fourth.
