Vettel extends lead in Ferrari 1-2
Fourtime world champion overcame steering problems to win and extend his lead at the top of standings
BUDAPEST: Sebastian Vettel increased his drivers’ world championship lead to 14 points on Sunday when he led Kimi Raikkonen home in a dominant Ferrari one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
In his 50th race for Ferrari, the four-time champion German controlled the contest from pole position in stifling heat to reel off his first win in five races since the Monaco Grand Prix.
His main title rival Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes finished fourth, after handing a podium finish back to his team-mate Valtteri Bottas on the final lap following a late switch to enable the Briton to attack the two Ferraris.
Dutchman Max Verstappen finished fifth. Two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso came home sixth and recorded the fastest lap of the race .
Vettel, who started the day just a point ahead of Hamilton, increased his lead by another 13 after 11 of this year’s 20 races as the circus takes a now-traditional three-week European summer holiday before the Belgian Grand Prix.
It was Ferrari’s first one-two in Hungary since 2004, when seven-time champion German Michael Schumacher triumphed ahead of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, the last season in which the race winner in Hungary went on to win the drivers’ title.
‘DIFFICULT TO COPE’
“I’m over the moon,” said Vettel. “It was really difficult. I had my hands full from three, four laps after the safety car. The steering started to go sideways.
“I stayed off the kerbs, tried to save the car. I didn’t do any favours to Kimi, who could go faster and I really had to stay focused the whole race.
“I was hoping for a couple of laps to breathe, but they didn’t come. I don’t know what happened. We’ll have a look -- but it doesn’t matter now because we won the race!”
Raikkonen, cheered by a huge following of Finns in a sell-out crowd at the sweltering Hungaroring, said: “Unfortunately, I couldn’t give them the win. I had a good start, but didn’t want to force the issue.
“After that I just kept following. Not ideal, I want to win, but it’s great for the team.”
Bottas, who was also given a resounding reception, said: “I was getting a little bit worried as the gap was increasing, but really, thanks to Lewis to keep the promise and let me by.”
COLLISION
At Turn One, Frenchman Romain Grosjean’s Haas collided with German Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault before, at Turn Two, the two Red Bulls collided when Verstappen over-steered into his team-mate. “It was what it was,” he said. “It’s not on. It was amateur to say the least.
“He doesn’t like it when a team-mate gets in front of him... A very poor mistake.”