Lewis Hamilton cruised to a dominant fifth win of the season in his Mercedes in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix to extend his championship lead over Sebastian Vettel to 24 points.
The defending champion came home 17.123 seconds ahead of title rival and fellow four-time champion Vettel of Ferrari after the German had survived a collision with Valtteri Bottas, in the second Mercedes.
That came on lap 65, of the 70, when Vettel finally passed Bottas, but the Finn’s right front wing touched his rear left tyre under braking, damaging his front wing and wrecking Mercedes’ hopes of a one-two finish.
Kimi Raikkonen finished third, his fifth podium finish in a row, in the second Ferrari ahead of Daniel Ricciardo who surged from 12th on the grid to fourth for Red Bull ahead of Bottas, who finished fifth after a late pit stop.
It was Hamilton’s record sixth win in Hungary, his fifth this season and the 67th of his career.
Summer break
Hamilton now has 213 points to Vettel’s 189 after the 12th of 21 races this year and before the competition takes a European summer break.
The results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 37:16.427, 2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) at 17.123, 3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 20.101, 4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) 46.419, 5. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 50.000, 6. Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) 1:13.273.
One lap: 7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), 8. Fernando Alonso (McLaren), 9. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Renault), 10. Romain Grosjean (Haas), 11. Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso), 12. Nico Hulkenberg (Renault), 13. Esteban Ocon (Force India), 14. Sergio Perez (Force India).
Two laps: 15. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber), 16. Sergey Sirotkin (Williams), 17. Lance Stroll (Williams). DNF: Charles Leclerc (Sauber-Ferrari), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren).
Standings (top five): Drivers: 1. Hamilton 213 pts, 2. Vettel 189, 3. Raikkonen 146, 4. Bottas 132, 5. Ricciardo 118.
Constructors: 1. Mercedes 345 pts, 2. Ferrari 335, 3. Red Bull 223, 4. Renault 82, 5. Haas 66 .
