Hamilton triumphs in Hungary to stretch F1 championship lead

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position for Mercedes on Sunday to go into the August break with a 24-point lead over Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel was runner-up, 17.1 seconds behind, and surviving a late collision with Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas, who also banged bodywork with Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Ferrari, mourning the death of former chairman Sergio Marchionne, had Kimi Raikkonen finish third to complete a podium of champions on a dry and sweltering afternoon at the Hungaroring outside Budapest.

The victory was Hamilton’s record sixth in Hungary, fifth of the season and 67th of his career.

In a race effectively decided by Saturday’s wet qualifying, when Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid against expectation, Hamilton was never challenged.

“We came here knowing Ferrari would be really quick this weekend so to come out with these points, we’ll definitely take it as a bonus,” said Hamilton in a pitlane interview after embracing team members.

“I’m really happy with how strong it’s come in the last couple of races. We’ve got to come strong in the next half,” added the 33-year-old, who won in Germany from 14th place on the grid a weekend earlier.

After 12 races, Hamilton has 213 points to Vettel’s 189.

Bottas ended up fifth, and was called to see stewards about the collisions, with French driver Pierre Gasly sixth for Toro Rosso.

Kevin Magnussen was a lapped seventh for Haas, lifting the US-owned team to fifth and ahead of Force India, with double world champion Fernando Alonso eighth for McLaren on his 37th birthday.

Carlos Sainz took two points for Renault in ninth and Romain Grosjean made sure of another for Haas.