Lewis Hamilton remained in imperious kind as he swept away the competition at the Hungaroring to bring the drape down on Formula 1 2020s opening triple header. Its now time for a week off from racing, however prior to we have a breather, weve chosen the winners and losers of the Hungarian Grand Prix …
Winner: Lewis Hamilton
There was a time when Michael Schumachers impressive records looked unsurpassable, however Lewis Hamilton has actually been ticking them off, one by one, with aplomb. And his triumph in Hungary– his eighth at the venue– has moved him to the edge of shattering yet more.
Hamilton did not put a foot incorrect at the weekend, saying his 90th pole lap needed “absolute perfection” and then obliterating the opposition on race day, lapping everybody as much as Alexander Albon in fifth.
READ MORE: Hamilton romps to eighth Hungarian Grand Prix win, as Verstappen recuperates to 2nd
Victory moves him simply 5 away from Schumachers win total of 91, and 2 except the Germans podium tally, while another successive points complete relocations his streak to 36 on an afternoon where he led a race for the 150th time– the very first chauffeur ever to reach this overall.
And to top all of it off, he took the champion lead from Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas. For the Briton, it was objective achieved.
Lewis Hamiltons 8 wins at the Hungarian Grand Prix
READ MORE: Theres great deal of work ahead of us, says Leclerc after mixed day for Ferrari.
Losers: Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel protected his best surface of the season with 6th, though his worst in Hungary since joining Ferrari That position is simply not excellent enough for the Italian team, nor is the reality only one of their vehicles handled to get to the chequered flag in the points.
Worse still, both automobiles finished a lap down on race winner Hamilton, 61 seconds adrift in reality. The outcome leaves them 5th in the manufacturers champion on a paltry 27 points, nearly 100 shy of leaders and reigning world champions Mercedes, after simply 3 races.
Sebastian Vettel: Not a surprise to be lapped by Hamilton
Winner: Max Verstappen
It was a position he would not relinquish, remarkably holding back Valtteri Bottas to divide the Mercedes in a car that doesnt seem efficient in doing that in regards to pure rate. As a result, he finished second in Hungary for the second year in a row, taking his 33rd podium to exceed Jim Clarks tally.
The group did an incredible task to fix the front left-corner of the vehicle, completing the task with less than 30 seconds to go. Potentially encouraged by the regret, Verstappen made an electrical start, rising up to 3rd, which ended up being 2nd when Lance Stroll pitted.
Max Verstappen was securely in the loser column before the race had actually even started, when the Dutchman got caught out by the damp conditions and slid off into the barriers on his method to the grid.
FOUND OUT MORE: Second seems like a win says Verstappen as he recovers from pre-race crash to podium
Crash to P2 – Max Verstappens unbelievable Hungarian GP recovery
Loser: Pierre Gasly
The mechanical gremlins returned on race day, however, as he had a drivetrain issue and dealt with gearshifts from the minute he began the race. When it became clear his AlphaTauri group might not treat the scenario, he was required to retire the cars and truck– his 2nd non-points scoring finish in 3 races.
As Pierre Gasly put it himself, the Frenchman was “just unfortunate” this weekend. He encountered engine problem in certifying, which subsequently resulted in a brand-new ICE, turbo and MGU-H being fitted, but he still managed to make Q3.
Hungarian GP: Fire in pit lane as Pierre Gasly retires
Winner: Lance Stroll
The Canadian had a great fight with Verstappen at the start of the race and maximized the performance of the vehicle to keep well clear of the pack, once Bottas had actually leapt him, to cross the line 4th, moving him level on points with Ferraris Charles Leclerc.
Okay, so it was not the podium Lance Stroll will have felt was really possible when he lined up third on the grid, but 4th on the roadway is still among his leading three outcomes in Formula 1.
FOUND OUT MORE: Strategy gamble lost Racing Point opportunity of podium, says Stroll
Lance Stroll: Weve got to be delighted with the outcome
Loser: Sergio Perez
The Mexican struggled with neck pain and felt woozy during certifying. And on track, he will have felt he might have had a top-four surface– and most likely even a podium, offered he had actually exceeded his team mate Stroll up until he began to feel unhealthy on Saturday.
The positives were that Sergio Perezs seventh-place was his best-ever finish in 9 Hungaroring begins– which he has now started the 2020 project with a sixth, sixth and seventh in the very first 3 races to put him 6th in the championship.
VIEW: We had a very poor start and it was tough to recover, states Perez
Hungarian GP: Watch the 2020 F1 race start
Winner: Kevin Magnussen
Magnussen did a superb job safeguarding from cars and trucks that were plainly much faster than him, keeping a McLaren and Ferrari at bay in the closing phases. It was regrettable he lost a position, and a point, following a penalty from the stewards, but it was nonetheless a welcome point in a season where it will be really tight in between them, Alfa Romeo and Williams for the bottom positions.
The team boldly called him and Romain Grosjean into the pits before the start and fitted dry tyres on a damp however drying track. It settled handsomely, since everybody else took the start and after that was required to pit, while the Haas cars increased up to fourth and third respectively.
Haas have actually had a miserable start to their 2020 campaign, the car struggling for efficiency both in terms of aero and power system, but when an opportunity presented itself in Hungary, Kevin Magnussen got it with both hands.
READ MORE: Magnussen applauds fantastic call from Haas that assisted him to first point of 2020
Hungarian GP: Can you believe it?! – Kevin Magnussen takes P9
Loser: Nicholas Latifi
He recuperated to the pits, however there was considerable damage to the floor and from there, it was merely about getting the cars and truck to the surface. He handled it, however the Canadian was five laps down.
As starts go, Nicholas Latifi made one of the very best on the grid, increasing up into the leading 10 from 15th as he evaluated the challenging conditions to excellence. However his fortune deviated when he had a risky release into the course of McLarens Carlos Sainz, piercing his tire.
WATCH: A excellent start was as great as it got, says Latifi
Hungarian GP: Latifi spins with puncture following pit lane contact
There was an element of uneasiness prior to Formula 1 2020 rebooted, so different was the world thanks to the coronavirus. Though the opening day was a bit unusual, F1 personnel quickly found a way to make whatever work, and by Hungary, it was functioning like a well-oiled machine.
Winner: Formula 1
The Ross Brawn column: Copying in F1 is standard– Racing Point have simply done a more extensive job
However everyone pulled together to make it occur and the Hungarian GP– assisted in part by the weather– was a 3rd successive entertaining race. Ideally Grands Prix as we know them wont be far away if we keep going like this.
Its still not the same, naturally, and the races are missing out on something without the fans. However at least the program is back on the roadway, as the first international sport event to come back post-Covid. Its no little task, provided this was likewise only F1s second-ever triple header.
Race Highlights: 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix
