Hungarian Grand Prix: Five things we learned as Sebastian Vettel nurses sick Ferrari to victory and Mercedes play fair

Red Bull have a problem on their hands after teammates crash as McLaren make hay while the sun shines in Budapest

Sebastian Vettel had to endure crooked steering throughout the race (Getty)

Vettel works wonders to make tyres last

It could have ended oh so differently had anyone other than Sebastian Vettel been at the front of the race. The German is one of the better drivers on the grid at looking after his tyres, and given that his steering became crooked from the moment his car came off the jacks on the starting grid, he had a problem on his hands.

The bent steering meant that Vettel’s tyres would ware faster than usual and also unevenly, yet the German was able to nurse his car at the front for the entire race and keep Kimi Raikkonen at bay – though that was largely down to team orders to keep an unhappy Finn behind and seal a first one-two victory in Hungary in 13 years.

It means that Vettel takes a 14-point lead into the summer break and, with Hamilton dropping points, could prove to be the difference come the end of the season.

Mercedes quick to write-off weekend

Both Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff hardly breathed confidence when they assessed Mercedes’ chances ahead of the race, given they started behind both Ferraris on the notoriously difficult Hungaroring that doesn’t exactly promote overtaking.

So when Vettel and Raikkonen hit trouble in the shape of the former experiencing tyre difficulty from the kerbs, Hamilton and Wolff must have wondered what on earth was going on. It was not the manner you’d expect the three-time constructor champions to approach a race, and as a result it is not that surprising that they leave Hungary a distinct second-best over the weekend.

However, it’s also worth noting that both Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas deserve credit for following team orders. Bottas released Hamilton when it was made clear to him that he was holding him up, and Hamilton pulled aside at the final corner to return the favour after failing to challenge the Ferraris, even though it could have cost him another place to Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton allowed Valtteri Bottas back past at the final corner (Getty)

12 months ago, the prospect of such generosity at Mercedes would’ve been unheard of, and it’s very clear that Hamilton and Bottas have a much healthier relationship than the one between Hamilton and the reigning world champion Nico Rosberg.

Verstappen must learn his lesson to avoid Ricciardo rift

To say that Daniel Ricciardo was unhappy with teammate Max Verstappen is something of an understatement. The always-smiling Australian was punted out of the race at the second corner by his Red Bull colleague, with Verstappen running wide at the first corner that put marbles on his tyres and led to him locking up as he reached the brake zone, before sliding into Ricciardo.

Max Verstappen slides into Daniel Ricciardo to take his Red Bull teammate out of the race (Getty)

Ricciardo was quick to confirm where he felt the blame lay – with stewards agreeing as Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty – and he calmed himself slightly before giving his verdict on the young Dutch teenager, labelling it an “amateur” move and claiming that the overtake attempt was because he cannot take the sight of his teammate being in front of him.

The two will discuss it in the wake of the Hungarian Grand Prix, but if they are to remain on good terms as they have been since Verstappen’s promotion last season, he must take a lesson out of this to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

McLaren make hay while the sun shines

The lack of power from the Honda engine is well documented, which is why it’s vitally important for McLaren to score healthy points when they arrive at the slower circuits like the Hungaroring. Qualifying seventh and eighth was an important step towards that goal, only for the start to jeopardise their race as Fernando Alonso was passed by Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.

Fernando Alonso claimed a season-high sixth place to lift McLaren off the bottom of the championship (Getty)

But the Spaniard showed his class once again to find a way to pass both of them, Perez immediately and Sainz later in the race when the two emerged from the pits at the same time. With Stoffel Vandoorne also claiming a top 10 finish, the nine points taken that lifts them off the foot of the Constructors’ Championship could be huge come the end of the season.

Di Resta fails to take chance but does himself no disservice

The fact that Paul di Resta was able to jump in the Williams with less than an hour’s notice and qualify ahead of Marcus Ericsson, who has raced the full season, was nothing short of incredible. Di Resta’s knowledge of the hybrid era of F1 was limited before this weekend to just 10 laps in 2014 as well as simulator work, yet he managed to stand in for Felipe Massa and show he still has the pace to run in F1.

The Grand Prix proved a different affair though, and after working his way past the other Sauber of Pascal Wehrlein at the start, he was soon passed during the pit stops and forced to retire eight laps from the chequered flag. It was a disappointing end that is unlikely to force his way back into the sport, but he can be proud of doing the best job he could possible in extremely difficult circumstances.