Hamilton wins thrilling Hungarian GP
Monday 05 August, 2019
Photos: LAT Images and Ren
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have bounced back after a disastrous weekend in Germany to take out the Hungarian Grand Prix, edging out Max Verstappen in thrilling fashion.
Rounding out the podium more than one minute behind Hamilton was Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, with teammate Charles Leclerc finishing fourth.
It was a tough day out for CAMS Ambassador Daniel Ricciardo who started at the back of the grid after taking on a set of new power unit elements ahead of the race.
Initially qualifying in 18th, it was always going to be a difficult task to finish in the points for Ricciardo, but the West Australian showed positive signs, moving up the field to finish 14th after trying to pass Haas’ Kevin Magnussen on multiple occasions.
While it was an entertaining battle in the midfield, the drama lay in the fight for top spot, as the reigning F1 champion trailed Red Bull’s Verstappen throughout the whole race.
Unable to pass the stubborn Dutchman, Mercedes went with a risky strategy of a second pit stop late in the race.
It was a move the paid dividends as Hamilton eventually chased down Verstappen to claim the lead with just three laps to go and pull off the remarkable comeback for his 81st Formula 1 victory.
“I was really proud of how I delegated my work throughout and collectively with the team we did an exceptional job,” Hamilton said.
“This morning they said a two-stop would not happen and when they called for it I wondered if it would work.
“A gamble is always a good thing. It felt like a big gamble. It was collectively a bold, risky strategy call, then it was doing the job at the end of the day. I had to do those laps to chew out the gap he had on me.”
The championship now has an extended break before returning to Spa in Belgium on 1 September.