20 July,2020 07:49 AM IST | Budapest | AFP
Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton holds aloft the trophy after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary, yesterday. Pic/AFP
Lewis Hamilton equalled one of Michael Schumacher's many records on Sunday when he delivered a classic drive to become the first driver to complete a hat-trick of Hungarian Grand Prix victories. The defending six-time champion, who won at the Hungaroring in 2018 and 2019, enlarged his overall total of Hungarian triumphs to eight, drawing level with Schumacher's eight wins at the French Grand Prix, the most by any driver at a single race venue.
Driving with exemplary concentration and aplomb, Hamilton controlled a tactical race from lights to flag, making light of changing conditions to deliver his 86th win, five short of Schumacher's record total of 91.
Lewis on top
It was Hamilton's second win this season, following victory at the Styrian GP a week earlier, and lifted him to the top of the drivers' championship by a single point ahead of his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. "Round One was multiple different punches that I wasn't ready for," said Hamilton, referring to the defeat in the season opener. "But I have refocused and we've just been on point here right through the weekend."
Max battles to second place
Max Verstappen was a remarkable second for Red Bull after his crew repaired severe damage to his car's suspension on the grid caused when the Dutchman had crashed before the start. He held off a late attack by Bottas to stay second by fractions of a second. "It wasn't how I wanted it, of course, but the mechanics did an amazing job to fix the car so to pay them back with second place is great," said Verstappen.
Bottas came home third, just metres behind, but ahead of Lance Stroll's Racing Point, Alex Albon in the second Red Bull and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari. Sergio Perez was seventh in the second Racing Point ahead of Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Carlos Sainz of McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign and F1's End Racism stance on Sunday during another chaotic pre-race gesture by drivers ahead of the Hungarian GP. According to the limited TV pictures broadcast of the drivers' gesture, it appeared that only around 16 took a knee with Hamilton. After the muddled arrangements for the statement to be made ahead of the season-opening Austrian and Styrian races, this risks being seen as another example of the lack of unity among the drivers in their support for the Black Lives Matter cause.
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