LEWIS HAMILTON WINS IN HUNGARY WITH MAX VERSTAPPEN SECOND AFTER CRASH
LEWIS Hamilton moved into the world championship lead for the first time this season with a dominant victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver pulled out an eight-second lead in three wet laps at the start of the race before switching to dry tyres, and controlled the race from there.
Hamilton even had time to stop for fresh tyres with three laps to go to grab the extra point for fastest lap.
Valtteri Bottas failed in an attempt to pass Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second, giving Hamilton a five-point championship lead over his team after three races.
Verstappen’s second place was extraordinary, for he crashed on the laps to the grid and damaged both his front wing and suspension.
The Red Bull mechanics worked wonders to change his left front push-rod on the grid in the time permitted and get him into the race and he then drove a superb race to hold off Bottas at the end. It was Hamilton’s second consecutive victory in the third race of the season, and it came after another anti-racism protest from the drivers before the race.
It ended up slightly chaotic, as it had in the Styrian Grand Prix a week ago, with the drivers rushing to take part. But as in the first two races, most of the drivers ‘took the knee’ alongside Hamilton, while
a few chose to remain standing for their own reasons.
Hamilton’s win was never in doubt once he shot away from the field at the start, while Bottas may be considered lucky to get away with an apparent jumped start. The Finn moved before the lights went out and then stopped again, saying he had reacted to a light on his dashboard. The subsequent slow getaway dropped him to sixth place on the first lap.
Hamilton took advantage to show off his renowned wet-weather skills in the opening laps, moving six points clear of the Racing Point of Lance Stroll in two laps and adding a further two seconds before pitting at the end of the next lap as the initially wet track quickly dried.
By the time the other front-runners had all stopped a lap later, Hamilton was 7.8secs clear and in a position to control the race, and he simply moved further and further away as the laps ticked by.
It was his eighth win in Hungary - and he now shares the record for most wins at a single circuit with Michael Schumacher. -