Sebastian Vettel Wins Hungarian Grand Prix as Nico Rosberg Suffers Late Puncture with Lewis Hamilton Back in Sixth
- Stunning start saw Sebastian Vettel take the lead through the first corner
- Lewis Hamilton dropped to fourth before locking up and into the gravel
- Hamilton blamed team-mate Nico Rosberg for pushing him too wide
- Rosberg then suffered late puncture problem to end hopes of second
- Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo secured an unlikely podium finish
- Hamilton ended up finishing in sixth with Fernando Alonso in fifth
Daily Mail UK, 26 July 2015
Formula One, boring?
Try arguing that after the most extraordinarily see-sawing race in recent memory.
First, a few facts: Sebastian Vettel won the Hungarian Grand Prix for Ferrari, Red Bull's 21-year-old Daniil Kvyat was second and his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo third.
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel celebrates with his trophy following his winning drive in Hungary
Vettel (centre) is joined by Red Bull duo Kvyat (left) and Ricciardo (right) on the podium in Budapest
Lewis Hamilton drove like an amateur at times, but finished in sixth place despite a drive-through penalty and sundry incidents. He extended his championship lead to 21 points.
Nico Rosberg, his Mercedes team-mate, finished eighth, after lying second for much of the afternoon. A late puncture ruined his day.
All this, and more, on a day of poignancy, when Formula One remembered its fallen driver Jules Bianchi. A minute's silence was held before the race.
But it took only for the lights to go out at the Hungaroring for minds to turn firmly to the h ere and now, while still staging a fitting tribute to the 25-year-old who died from the injuries he suffered in Japan last October.
Back to the start, and suddenly four cars were side by side at 160mph down the long run into the first corner.
And, lo and behold, the Ferraris were in front.
There were people here who would have bet their life savings, their children's school fees and even their flat-screen TVs on Hamilton taking victory from pole, a triumph that would have put him in total command of the world championship.
Vettel takes the lead from the first corner in Hungary as Lewis Hamilton slips to fourth place
Ferrari driver Vettel edges in front to grab the perfect start at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday
Red Bull youngster Daniil Kvyat went on to secure a shock podium finish as he came home second
This is his favourite track and he had been fastest in every session of practice and qualifying. He had won here four times in eight years. But, no, he was down to fourth in a trice.
The astonishing start to a dramatic race unfolded with Vettel, from third on the grid, charging down Hamilton's left on what little of the road remained. They got so close that they fitted together like jigsaw pieces.
On the other side of the tarmac, Rosberg was duelling with Kimi Raikkonen.
Hamilton braked earliest with little room for manoeuvre. Vettel was through into the lead. And at the next corner Raikkonen found a sweet line to sweep inside Rosberg for second place.
It was Ferrari, Ferrari, Mercedes, Mercedes.
Hamilton, always willing to race hard even to the point of impetuosity, tried to pass Rosberg but ran into the gravel and mowed across the chicane. He dropped to 10th.
'Nico crossed over my line,' said Hamilton on the radio. 'He pushed me wide.' That seemed a bit unfair on the German, who appeared only to hold his line.
Vettel took full advantage of his perfect start on Sunday as he led from start to finish in Budapest
The Formula One drivers embrace for a minute of silence to pay tribute to Jules Bianchi prior to the race
A message reading 'Jules Bianchi, Ferrari World Champion 2017' is seen behind Vettel's car in Budapest
Security staff stand on the track with a banner reading 'JB 17', in tribute to the late French Formula One driver
Quote:
F1 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes - 202 points
Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 181 points
Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari - 160 points
Valtteri Bottas - Williams - 77 points
Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari - 76 points
Felipe Massa - Williams - 74 points
Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull - 51 points
Daniil Kvyat - Red Bull - 45 points
Nico Hulkenberg - Force India - 24 points
Romain Grosjean - Lotus - 23 points
Max Verstappen - Toro Rosso - 22 points
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The Ferraris were comfortable at the front. In fact, more comfortable than they should have been. Where was Rosberg's challenge?
He had been handed an unexpected chance to make a serious bite into Hamilton's 17-point lead at the top of the standings, yet he could make no incursion into the cars ahead of him.
As for Hamilton, he was on charge. After eight frustrating laps behind Felipe Massa's Williams, he finally passed him at the first corner. Their back wheels brushed but it was clean racing.
Hamilton then had Sergio Perez's Force India in his sights. No problem. And once cars in front of him started peeling into the pits, Hamilton had some clean air that allowed him to make a mark on the timing screen.
He got up to fifth, a position he held before and after his first pit stop. He next tore past Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull like a bullet. He was now fourth and a place behind Rosberg, who was clearly struggling for comfort.
The next chapter unfolded when the front wing of Nico Hulkenberg's Force India went under his car and smashed into a million pieces. He went on to hit the tyre wall. The safety car was deployed and it even took the entire field down the pit lane a couple of times so the debris could be cleared from the track.
The result of the safety car was to bunch the field. Vettel's lead was gone. Raikkonen, running second, had an energy problem that left him down on power. Rosberg, third, now had Hamilton right on his tail.
Nico Rosberg looked set to grab second place as he chased down long-time leader Vettel
But Rosberg was clipped by Daniel Ricciardo and ended up with a puncture as his dreams of podium ended
Rosberg felt the full effect of the collision as he had to limp round the track with a punctured back left tyre
The Mercedes mechanics change Rosberg's tyres as he prepares for one final onslaught in Budapest
'We are racing for the win mate,' Hamilton was told.
Game on. But Hamilton made a mistake
immediately after the restart, locking up at the first corner and drifting into Ricciardo. He went down to sixth place before returning to the pits for repairs.
He was then hit by a drive-through penalty for causing the collision. Quite right. 'I'm so so sorry guys. So sorry,' said Hamilton, who came up the field to sixth place.
Rosberg, meanwhile, passed Raikkonen without a problem to take second place. The fight for the win was now down to Vettel v Rosberg. Or so it seemed.
Williams driver Felipe Massa steers his car ahead of Hamilton as the latter looks to bridge the gap
British driver Hamilton hits the breaks into the curve during Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix
The front wing of Nico Hulkenberg's front wing collapsed under his car as the safety car was enforced
The German driver was powerless to avoid his Force India colliding with the tyres but was fine after the crash
But Rosberg was passed by Ricciardo. He went to fight back. They collided. Rosberg's tyre shredded. What a disappointment for him on a day of opportunity. Raikkonen retired from the race. Kvyat became the second youngest podium finisher in history, a few days older than the victorious, wide-smiling, Vettel.
A word for McLaren after their hopeless early season. It was great to see them restored to the top 10, with Fernando Alonso fifth and Jenson Button ninth.
That was almost as strange any phenomenon that unfolded in 69 spellbinding laps here.
Sahara Force India driver Sergio Perez leaves the track leaving skidmarks and ends up in the gravel
One spectator makes his move in Hungary to get a glimpse of Sebastian Vettel celebrating his victory