Shock winner as crash mars chaotic Hungarian GP

2 years ago 296

Frenchman Esteban Ocon won a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix connected Sunday, portion an exhausted Lewis Hamilton finished 3rd to instrumentality the Formula One title pb from Max Verstappen by six points heading into the mid-season interruption - and was past promoted.

Second-placed Sebastian Vettel, of Aston Martin, was sensationally disqualified aft the contention due to the fact that officials were incapable to instrumentality the required substance illustration from his car.

Technical regulations authorities that 1 litre of substance indispensable beryllium disposable to beryllium taken from the car astatine immoderate clip during a expansive prix. Officials could get conscionable 0.3 litres from Vettel's car, truthful helium was disqualified and each drivers beneath him were promoted 1 place.

Sebastian Vettel astatine the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Hamilton needed a cheque from the Mercedes squad doc aft the race.

"Had truly large dizziness and everything got a spot blurry," helium said. "I person been warring each twelvemonth truly with the health, staying steadfast aft what happened astatine the extremity of past twelvemonth (with coronavirus)."

Verstappen placed ninth aft being taken retired aboriginal successful the contention by Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas successful a first-lap clang that caused him and 4 others to retire.

Esteban Ocon drives his Alpine A521 Renault during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

It was lone the 24-year-old Ocon's 2nd podium, pursuing a second-place decorativeness astatine the Sakhir GP successful Bahrain precocious past year. The Alpine operator finished up of Vettel, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz yet 3rd up of Ocon's teammate Fernando Alonso. Daniel Ricciardo was 11th, having been affected by the aboriginal drama.

"What a moment, feels truthful good," Ocon said, patting his heart.

Race victor Esteban Ocon of France and Alpine F1 Team celebrates connected the podium adjacent to 2nd placed Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Aston Martin F1 Team and 3rd placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes. (Getty)

The clang successful the rainfall was caused by Bottas, who retired arsenic a result.

The contention restarted successful absurd manner with lone Hamilton connected the grid, portion others were changing their tyres due to the fact that the way had dried. Hamilton did the aforesaid a thigh aboriginal and came retired successful past place, a mates of spots down Verstappen.

But a clever 2nd tyre alteration by Mercedes for hard tyres connected Lap 20 outwitted Red Bull and Hamilton moved up of Verstappen aft helium came successful for caller tires.

With 30 laps to go, the apical 4 was Ocon-Vettel-Sainz-Hamilton.

To springiness Hamilton a changeable astatine victory, Mercedes made a 3rd tyre alteration with a small much than 20 laps remaining.

But helium had to get up of the 40-year-old Alonso first, a operator with 32 wins and 97 podiums, and among the astir talented of his generation.

Alonso held disconnected a archetypal onslaught connected Lap 55 and blocked him 2 much times connected Lap 57 with stellar defending connected the inside.

Alonso's nous was capable to repel 2 much attacks.

"He is 1 of hardest drivers but fair," Hamilton said. "I would accidental contiguous was a small spot connected the limit, but I wholly get it and I would bash it for my team."

Race victor Esteban Ocon of France and Alpine F1 Team, with Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton connected the podium aft the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

When Hamilton yet got past determination were lone 5 laps near and Sainz conscionable ahead. He overtook him but by past the beforehand 2 were excessively acold ahead.

Hamilton's bid for a 100th triumph resumes connected August 29 astatine the Belgian GP successful Spa, wherever Bottas volition commencement that contention with a five-place grid penalty.

Alonso's superb antiaircraft driving helped Ocon unafraid the triumph and they hugged aft the race, with Alonso lifting him up successful the air.

"We are forming a large squad and pushing the squad successful the close direction," Ocon said.

Hamilton was again loudly jeered by sections of the crowd, arsenic helium was aft taking rod presumption connected Saturday. He won the British GP 2 weeks agone contempt a 10-second punishment for taking Verstappen retired connected the archetypal lap.

The car of Valtteri Bottas is removed from the way during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

Heavy rainfall fell soon earlier Sunday's contention and the way was soaked. Hamilton got distant from rod but Verstappen changeable up of Bottas into second.

McLaren's Lando Norris besides overtook Bottas, who bumped into the backmost of him — sending Norris sliding into Verstappen and some disconnected track. Bottas went into a tyre partition and took retired Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez connected his way.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was jammed betwixt Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and McLaren's Ricciardo. After a reddish emblem halted the contention to let stewards to wide the wrecked cars, Leclerc, Stroll, Norris and Perez besides retired.

When the contention restarted, Hamilton was unsocial connected the grid portion others were ditching their wet-weather tyres to suit the present drying track.

Hamilton had to bash the aforesaid connected the adjacent thigh and came retired successful past spot with Verstappen 11th, portion Ocon led from Vettel. Nikita Mazepin was the sixth to discontinue aft colliding with 2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen's Alfa Romeo successful the pit lane.

The sinewy and choky 4.4km Hungaroring circuit is arguably the hardest way to overtake connected aft Monaco.

"I can't get adjacent to people," said Hamilton, who fell abbreviated of winning the contention for a record-extending ninth time.

Ocon was erstwhile portion of the Mercedes improvement programme and the team's reserve operator 2 years agone aft losing his F1 seat.

He showed the endowment Mercedes saw successful him with a composed thrust nether unit from Vettel, a four-time F1 champion with 53 wins.

"Esteban didn't marque a azygous mistake," Vettel said. "It's his time and his moment."

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen thrust during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

VERSTAPPEN FUMES AT LOUSY LUCK

Red Bull operator Max Verstappen was speedy to explicit his vexation aft being taken retired connected the archetypal thigh of a Formula One contention for the 2nd consecutive clip and losing the title lead.

"Again, taken retired by a Mercedes," Verstappen said aft Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. "I was missing the full broadside of my car. And the level was damaged arsenic well, truthful astir intolerable to drive."

He was really nudged disconnected way by McLaren's Lando Norris erstwhile successful 2nd spot and helium finished 10th; earlier being elevated to ninth owed to Vettel's disqualification. It meant that helium conceded important points and the wide pb to Mercedes operator Lewis Hamilton heading into the midseason break.

But Norris was not astatine fault, since helium had been deed from down by Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas and lurched into Verstappen — who was knocked disconnected way astatine the British GP 2 weeks agone by Hamilton and scored nary points successful that race.

From being 33 points up of Hamilton and connected rod presumption astatine Silverstone, Verstappen present trails him by six points — 192-186 — aft Hamilton finished 2nd successful a chaotic Hungarian GP.

"I inactive tried my precise champion and I inactive got 1 point. It's astatine slightest thing but it's not what you want," Verstappen said, earlier adding connected Twitter. "Disappointing to person 2 races successful a enactment (with) truthful overmuch atrocious luck."

Norris besides appeared to blasted Bottas, who mislaid presumption rapidly contempt starting from 2nd down Hamilton.

"All of america are successful Formula 1 for a reason, due to the fact that we're bully drivers and we cognize wherever to brake, wherever to justice braking zones and truthful on. Especially erstwhile it's wet, particularly connected the archetypal lap," Norris said. "But evidently immoderate misjudged it completely. That's the annoying thing, you expect a small spot much erstwhile you're racing those apical guys astatine the beforehand of the field."

Norris is 3rd successful the standings and 5 points up of Bottas successful fourth.

The play resumes astatine the Belgian GP successful Spa connected August 29th.

"I cognize that erstwhile we spell again aft the break, I volition beryllium determination again and I volition effort my precise best," said Verstappen, who leads Hamilton this play 5-4 successful wins, 5-3 for rod positions and 4-3 for fastest laps.

But Hamilton present has the momentum arsenic helium bids for a grounds eighth F1 title.

Max Verstappen makes a pitstop during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

F1 HUNGARIAN GP RESULTS (starting spot)

1. (8) Esteban Ocon, France, Alpine, 70 laps, 1:32:54.762.

2. (1) Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 70, +2.736.

3. (15) Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, Ferrari, 70, +15.018.

4. (9) Fernando Alonso, Spain, Alpine, 70, +15.651.

5. (5) Pierre Gasly, France, Alphatauri, 70, +1:03.614.

6. (16) Yuki Tsunoda, Japan, Alphatauri, 70, +1:15.803.

7. (18) Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams, 70, +1:17.910.

8. (17) George Russell, Great Britain, Williams, 70, +1:19.094.

9. (3) Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing, 70, +1:20.244.

10. (13) Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing, 69, +1 lap.

11. (11) Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, McLaren, 69, +1 lap.

12. (20) Mick Schumacher, Germany, Haas F1 Team, 69, +1 lap.

13. (14) Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing, 69, +1 lap.

14. (19) Nikita Mazepin, Russia, Haas F1 Team, did not finish, 3.

15. (6) Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren, did not finish, 2.

16. (4) Sergio Perez, Mexico, Red Bull Racing, did not finish.

17. (2) Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, did not finish.

18. (7) Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, did not finish.

19. (12) Lance Stroll, Canada, Aston Martin, did not finish.

20. (10) Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Aston Martin, 70, disqualified

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