Verstappen wins ahead of Mercedes in Hungary

While rain was expected in Budapest, it never affected the race at the Hungaroring where Max Verstappen it's imposed. The Dutchman moved up from tenth position and further increased his lead in the Drivers' championship. Charles Leclerc, although leader of the event at one point, slipped to sixth place. THE Mercedes completed the podium.

Russell resists Sainz at the start

For his first pole position in F1, George Russell (Mercedes) did not tremble and held his place on the inside of the first turn facing Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). Behind, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was taking advantage of an internal battle between the two Alpine to surprise them on the outside and sneak into 5th row, in the aspiration of Lando Norris (McLaren). A clash at the back of the pack between Alex Albon (Williams) and Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) brought a short Virtual Safety Car to remove the debris from the Williams left at turn 2. On the restart, the leader took advantage of his soft tires to increase his lead over the Ferraris shod with medium tires. 

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Starting 10th, Max Versappen (Red Bull) began its ascent. The Dutchman took the advantage over both Alpine, followed a little later by his teammate Sergio Pérez. Blocked behind a Norris equipped with soft tires facing his Mediums, Hamilton saw his rival for the title in 2021 come back into his exhausts. The seven-time world champion finally found the fault on his compatriot at the start of the 12th lap, but the Red Bull let himself be carried along in his wake to get rid of the McLaren without firing a shot. Norris also lost against Pérez and fell to seventh place. After his loss of power in Q3 the day before, Verstappen this time highlighted a clutch problem on his car.

First waltz of stops, Alpine mess

The soft tires were losing pace and Norris was the first of the drivers in the points to stop on lap 15, while Russell saw the Ferraris getting bigger in his mirrors. Charles Leclerc, lodged in his teammate's DRS zone, was starting to get impatient. The leader dived into the pit lane on lap 17, and came out in 6th place, between the Alpine. Verstappen passed the Mediums on the same lap and came out in 8th position, but this stop allowed him to get rid of Lewis Hamilton when the Englishman stopped. Ephemeral leader, Carlos Sainz rushed into the pit at the end of the next loop. The Spaniard started again in Mediums, behind Russell, leaving the controls to Leclerc.

After several laps on a clear track, the runner-up in the Drivers' championship pitted at the end of the 21st lap. The No. 16 Ferrari emerged behind George Russell, back in the lead through the stops, but ahead of Carlos Sainz. On the side ofAlpine, Esteban Ocon bothered Fernando Alonso exiting the pit lane. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) didn't ask for that much and took advantage of the situation to eliminate the two French cars on the inside of the second corner for tenth place. The Blues' strategy proved to be all the more counterproductive as the equipped toughs caused them to fall out of points in the standings.

Ferrari scuttles

Leclerc joined the leader on the 27th lap and made his first attack at the start of the 28th, but Russell managed to keep his position. The Briton was under pressure from the Monegasque during several loops of the Hungaroring. It took extremely late braking from the Ferrari driver to take control at the start of the 31st lap. Verstappen, returning fourth behind Sainz, was the first of the pursuers to embark on a two-stop strategy. Russell logically covered by putting on Mediums, but the Batavian's undercut worked. Ferrari also covered with a second stop for Leclerc who returned to the track in Hards. In difficulty on dangerous rubber to heat up on a cold track, the runner-up in the championship could not resist his rival. 

Shock: at the end of this same lap, the reigning world champion lost control in the penultimate corner. An error which allowed his pursuer in the championship to get back in front! Verstappen had not said his last word and was chasing the Ferrari again. The difference between the medium and hard tires was largely to the advantage of the Red Bull driver who took third place. Faced with this battle, Carlos Sainz switched to Softs with 22 laps to go. Still on a single stop, Hamilton inherited the lead in the Grand Prix, but he imitated the Spaniard at the end of the 51st lap. Max Verstappen found himself leader.

Verstappen ahead of Hamilton and Russell

In traffic and as the raindrops intensified, Charles Leclerc had to hold off George Russell for second place, but finally gave in on the 54th lap. Handicapped by his anemic rubber, the Monegasque stopped by his pit a third time to put on Tendres and found himself in sixth position. The Ferrari race turned into a Berezina with Lewis Hamilton overtaking Carlos Sainz seven laps from the checkered flag. Hamilton even took second place from his teammate George Russell, far from a winning Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz, Sergio Pérez, Charles Leclerc, Lano Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Sebastian Vettel completed the top 10.