Hamilton wins with timely Mercedes strategy

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) wins the Hungarian Grand Prix thanks to a great strategic move from Mercedes against a Max Verstappen (Red Bull) who put up good resistance during 66 of the 70 laps on the program. The podium is completed by Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari).

The first part of the scenario for this Hungarian Grand Prix took shape at the start, where Max Verstappen resisted perfectly to the two Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. The latter, however, found more speed than his teammate in the first turns to take second place.

Stopped in his momentum exiting turn 3, Bottas sees Charles Leclerc come up to it at the start of turn 4. A slight contact between the two causes damage to the Finn's front wing, who then loses a position to Sebastian Vettel.

The hierarchy will remain the same during the first stint with Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc and Vettel, but the two leaders escape by seconds, leaving the two SF90s in an almost deserted space, which will last until the finish .

Mercedes takes a gamble

After the first stops, Hamilton seems able to worry Verstappen with a slightly delayed stop in the Mercedes clan. But the only attempt shortly after halfway ended in failure, Hamilton going wide in the escape route at turn 4.

From then on, the Briton began to doubt, indicating in his radio that he could not do better, and fearing for the temperatures of his brakes. A few laps later, Mercedes called the world champion back to his pit to put on a set of new medium tires.

Good pick for Hamilton who after a time of observation in the traffic, came back like a plane in the last ten laps facing Verstappen struggling with “dead” tires as indicated by the Dutchman on his radio.

The junction takes place on the 66th lap, and Hamilton makes the decisive overtake at the first turn of the 67th lap, from the outside. The Briton then heads towards his 8th victory of the year to further increase his lead in the championship.

This is Hamilton's 81st career victory, and the 7th in Hungary, a record Michael Schumacher matched for the Mercedes driver.

Max Verstappen, author of a final late stop, finished 2nd, with the fastest lap in the race, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who took the advantage over Charles Leclerc in the last three laps. Carlos Sainz (McLaren) signs his second top 5 in two races.

Pierre Gasly (Red Bull), Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo), Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris (McLaren) and Alex Albon (Toro Rosso) enter the top 10. The Renault finished 12th and 14th with Nico Hulkenberg et Daniel Ricciardo. Romain Grosjean (Haas) was forced to abandon.

Discover the full report and analysis of the Hungarian Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondents in Budapest, in AUTO issue 2228hebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.