UNSTOPPABLE
Lewis comes from 21 seconds back to overhaul Max and claim his eighth win of the season. He’s...
THERE can be little doubting the thought foremost in Lewis Hamilton’s mind as he came from another planet to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Yes, he capitalised on an improbable strategy gamble by his inspired Mercedes team. Worthy though that is, it is the prosaic to the poetry of Hamilton’s stirring drive.
The motivation was sitting in the Red Bull way out in front as Hamilton emerged from a second — and, as it turned out, race-winning — pit stop. It was called Max Verstappen, and he is the only true pretender to the title of greatest motor racing driver in the world.
Hamilton, reshod on fresh rubber, was suddenly 21 seconds back, but still lying second, with as few laps remaining and, make no mistake, Verstappen’s racing was drenched in tenacity, calmness, almost perfection.
as sure as the sun was in the sky, he was tormenting Hamilton to distraction.
What transpired over the ensuing laps defied probability. at times it even contradicted Mercedes’ own machines, which told them that what was happening, simply couldn’t be.
Toto Wolff sat in the motorhome later and gave this explanation: ‘at first it didn’t seem possible, but as soon as he sniffed the opposition there was no holding back. His driving today was of another dimension.’
as Hamilton was tearing into Verstappen’s lead, often by a second and a half a lap, the timing sheets suddenly recorded
that he was closing to within striking distance. He did not require all those 21 laps to make the kill.
Three laps from the end, on the outside of the first corner, to the sound of cheers, Hamilton passed the second best driver alive. Yes, he was helped by his fresher tyres, Verstappen hobbled by his older ones (the whole rationale for the cunning plan). But the buccaneering thrill of Hamilton’s performance does not deserve to be drowned by caveats.
‘ Lewis was on fire,’ said Verstappen, who had started on pole. He knew of Hamilton’s flaming brilliance from earlier, mid-race, when they duelled for supremacy wheel to wheel. Verstappen repelled the attacks and, as we have been saying, that was kindling for the blaze.
‘You could see it was two great drivers showing each other respect because they raced at 180mph next to each other,’ said Wolff. ‘It was an unbelievable drive in the end from Lewis. We knew the moment he could see Max that it would be enough.’
There had been a brief wobble in Hamilton’s faith earlier, a flickering doubt as the pit stop plunged him all that way behind when he had been directly on his prey’s tail.
‘I don’t know if that was the right call,’ he wondered aloud over the radio. His team encouraged him, although they thought they might be fibbing.
Hamilton later said: ‘It felt like the steepest wall to climb, but the team had relaxed faith that we would do it, so I am grateful for their decision. I just had to put all the question marks out of my mind and go for the best laps I could without dropping any time whatsoever. The gap chopped down and I could see Max in my sights.’
It is a tribute to Mercedes that they were deft in their decisionmaking a week after their embarrassments in Germany — a comically bungled stop, Hamilton’s uncharacteristic impression of Bambi in the wet and more.
The humiliations were recorded by netflix for their series, Drive
to Survive. It was meant to be a one- off collaboration. But the cameras returned to the team’s inner sanctum yesterday, the narrative of redemption too beguiling for film- makers or race-winners to ignore.
Mercedes had not intended to pit Hamilton twice when they formulated their strategy before the race, but needing to throw the dice as Verstappen led — nobody else was remotely in the fight — they reacted nimbly.
a hurrah for chief strategist James Vowles. He dreamt the idea up, put it to Wolff and the pit-wall brains and to James allison, the technical director, back home in England. Then it was over to you, Lewis.
There is the hope of more of these thrills to come when the season restarts in Spa after the summer break. The Red Bulls are finding form and Verstappen, with two wins to his name this season, is high in confidence.
He is still 69 points adrift, with Valtteri Bottas, in the other Mercedes, 62 behind Hamilton. It is a long road back for either — and Bottas was poor again here — but even a few fights like this one should keep us entertained, and for some years to come.
afterwards, a tired Hamilton hugged Verstappen warmly. It was not an act of kindness so much as one of respect.