Lewis Hamilton lands psychological blow as Ferrari are left to rue split strategy at Hungarian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position to head into the August break with a 24-point lead

Lewis Hamilton might have started the Hungarian GP from pole position after yesterday’s table-turning wet qualifying drama, but few expected Mercedes to beat the Ferraris, which were the clear favourites even though they had to line up on the second row. But on a day when Ferrari split their strategy, Hamilton pulled off a big win which opened up his championship lead to 24 points going into the summer break. Slice it how you will, that was a major psychological blow at a time when Ferrari have the faster car.

“We knew we had to try something,” Sebastian Vettel admitted, so he did his first stint on the harder but more durable soft-compound Pirelli tyre, as the other front-runners went for the fastest but more fragile ultrasofts. But where the indications in practice were that the purple-striped tyres would wear out quickly, the race showed that they lasted much longer than anyone had dared to expect.

“That was the key,” Vettel said, having found himself on his back foot for much of the race because of having to start from fourth on the grid. “There was a point where for about 10 laps Lewis was running as quickly on ultrasofts as I was on the softs, when we would have expected them to have lost their edge. That was a major factor.”

Hamilton agreed, and said that ironically he had struggled initially on his set of soft tyres, which had felt much better on Friday and Saturday. Such are the vagaries of the current tyre situation in F1.

Ferrari’s best hope was to make up paces in the run to the first corner, but Hamilton and Valterri Bottas defended well their first and second starting slots and left no openings, and thereafter they controlled the pace as overtaking is so difficult at the Hungaroring.

“Pole was really important yesterday,” Hamilton admitted. “Ferrari have shown they are really the fastest in the last three races, so we expected them to be at the front and with the pace they have they would possibly gone into the distance. I think we night have been able to hang on to them with the pace we had today, but pole was very important because it gave us crucial track position.”

“Valtteri was perhaps not driving as quickly as he could have,” Vettel noted of the first stint, where the Finn went just fast enough to keep him bottled up as Hamilton drew away. Then, crucially, Kimi Raikkonen stopped as early as the 24th of the 70 laps for soft tyres, with Bottas following suit a lap later. Hamilton, however, kept going until the 25th and felt that might have managed a few more. His stop dropped him to second, behind Vettel, and then they began a cat-and-mouse interlude where the gap ebbed and flowed depending on traffic.

But by the time Vettel pitted for his ultrasofts on the 39th lap, Hamilton had reduced a 13.1s gap to 9.5s. Ferrari knew that Vettel would have to battle to catch him up again and then attack, on his faster rubber, but they reckoned without a small delay with the left front wheel which meant that when he rejoined, Vettel was also back behind Bottas.

For lap after lap the Finn rode shotgun for Hamilton, as Vettel tried initially to bide his time and save his tyres. A virtual safety car intervention on laps 51 and 52, to remove Stoffel Vandoorne’s broken McLaren, did not have much effect, but gradually Vettel ramped up the pressure as he saw the Mercedes’ overworked tyres beginning to surrender their grip.

Hamilton crosses the line to win the Hungarian Grand Prix (AFP/Getty)

Meanwhile Hamilton was able to open a lead as great as 24.2s with only five laps to run. But by then Bottas’ tyres were 50 laps old and that 65th lap was when Vettel finally got the momentum to dive to the outside heading into Turn One. As Bottas ran wide the Ferrari driver was able to duck back to the right and slip ahead thanks to better traction as they went down to Turn 2. Then, as Vettel turned in, having taken second place, Bottas went for a closing gap, locked up and hit the back of the Ferrari.

“I wasn’t sure the car was okay,” Vettel said. “All of a sudden I was hit from behind, but I don’t blame him. He had no grip and I think he locked up and had nowhere to go, I was lucky I could collect up the car, and that I didn’t get a puncture.”

The stewards, who included former F1 racer and Le Mans winner Derek Warwick, deemed it a racing incident.

Vettel got the hammer down and started lapping a second better than he had been able to while chasing Bottas, but the Finn’s excellent tactical work had rendered the chase academic and Hamilton headed to his 67th victory still 17.1s to the good. Raikkonen had been catching Bottas and Vettel hand over fist and had also slipped ahead of the second Mercedes, which had sustained front wing damage. But he, of course, is not allowed to race his team leader so though he was able to shadow Vettel he was never more than a contender for the final podium slot.

Hamilton celebrates his victory up on the podium (AFP/Getty Images)

Bottas’ torment was not over, as he was then attacked by Daniel Ricciardo, who had also started on soft tyres but made better use of his ultrasofts in the second stint. The Australian slashed into Bottas’ advantage in his now crippled Mercedes, and drew alongside on the outside going into Turn One on the 68th lap. Bottas then ran wide and contact was made, damage done and more debris spread.

But Ricciardo wasn’t done and closed in again before Mercedes told their man to surrender the place to ameliorate any likely penalties after the stewards noted that they would investigate the incident afterwards. Even after doing that, however, the luckless Finn received a 10s time penalty which did not affect his ultimate fifth place.

The win, Hamilton’s fifth of the season, was as polished as it was unexpected, and backed up last weekend’s success in Germany.

“Both were special in their own way,” he said, “and the last race was one of most special for sure. But coming to this weekend we knew it would be a difficult race. We didn’t know where we would sit, but we hoped to be as quick as these guys.” He gestured to the Ferrari duo.

“Friday didn’t look great, not on the long runs, but I guess I switch to a different mode on Saturday, but even so pole was a bit of a surprise.

“Valtteri is the best wingman and he did a great stint on those tyres, but unfortunately was not able to keep second place today. But the team have done such a great job even after these guys turned up the wick in the last three races, so it’s a great boost for us to win the last two races and go into the summer break with a 24-point lead.”