And two ! Dominator last week in Austria for the grand prix of Styria, the British Lewis Hamilton has this time totally crushed the Hungarian GP, 3rd rendez-vous of the year, and already a chilling effect on the interest of this season.
of Course, Hamilton has been back to the top of the championship to his team-mate at Mercedes Valtteri Bottas, 3rd Sunday, for five small points. But the demonstration has been relentless.
Hamilton has moved ahead of the Red Bull Max Verstappen, 2nd, more than eight seconds and Bottas by almost 10 seconds, while paying a luxury unimaginable, except in the mind of Hamilton. On the strength of its advance, it is allowed to change tyres and, from then on, losing about twenty seconds, to give the extra point for best lap in the race just before the chequered flag.
what definitely taste all of spilotes and their stables, renovated to the rank of extras. Only the first five cars finished on the same lap as Hamilton.
The interlude Bottas, winner of the GP opening in Austria on the same car, seems already far away. And Hamilton can already envisage with serenity’s quest for a 7th world title which would make it the equal of Michael Schumacher.
The Mercedes appear even more untouchable this year © LAT Images / MediaPortal Daimler AG / Daimler AG
In conditions more dangerous, where the wet track and the few showers have played with the nerves of the drivers and teams, Hamilton has spread throughout his class.
“management has been very good, we had a very good rhythm today, and a very good strategy,” admitted Hamilton.
Particularly in the beginning of the race, when the six-time world champion has scored more than seven seconds ahead, in just three rounds, on his pursuers, including Verstappen.
Verstappen better than Leclerc
The young Dutchman has, however, got off the lecture. He was by far, a 7th place on the grid who were quite annoyed, and had also smashed his car, joining the starting grid before the warm up lap.
Result: a good effort to his mechanics, who have managed to rehabilitate a 15-minute self ill, but ultimately solid.
“A big thank you to the mechanics. They have saved the day, you are legends guys”, has dropped Verstappen to the radio once the line has been crossed.
For the rest, the Hungaroring, without public and without fervour, gave birth to a Grand Prize easy to forget. In the preamble, and as he will do throughout the season, Hamilton -as well as 15 other pilots – has once again put a knee on the ground to combat racism, while others stood upright, face down or not.
On the track, the Racing has been a little less verve than in tests, but they are finishing placed (Stroll 4th, Perez 7th).
once is not custom, Sebastian Vettel has quite largely taken the best of his young team-mate Charles Leclerc. The quadruple world champion, soon to be end of his contract with the Scuderia, finished 6th, while the Monegasque could not do better than 10th.
on the side of The French, Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri), 10th on the grid but had to change its engine, could not go far, forced to abandon the race on a gearbox problem as soon as the 17th round. Esteban Ake (Renault) has taken the 14th place, just ahead of Romain Grosjean (Haas) in 15th.
At Red Bull, the weekend is not quite over, as Alexander Albon, team-mate Verstappen, is 5th, but the subject of an investigation for having possibly used the blowers designed to cool the engine for….. dry out its position on the grid !
After three weeks of intense recovery, the F1 is now a break for a few days. Before returning to his bubble closed, Covid-19 requires that, for three new appointments to ride in 15 days: the GP of Great Britain (2 August) and the 70th anniversary of the F1, yet at Silverstone (9th August), then the GP of Spain (16 August).
overall Standings unofficial Hungarian Grand Prix
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) the 306,630 km in 1: 36:12.473
2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda) to 8.702
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) to 9.452
4. Lance Stroll (CAN/Racing Point-Mercedes) at 57.579
5. Alexander Albon (THA/Red Bull-Honda) 1:18.316 *
6. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 1 lap
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Racing Point-Mercedes) at 1 lap
8. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Renault) at 1 lap
9. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) – 1 turn
10. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/McLaren-Renault) at 1 lap
11. Charles Leclerc (MY/Ferrari) at 1 lap
12. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/AlphaTauri-Honda) at 1 lap
13. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Renault) at 1 lap
14. Esteban Ake (FRA/Renault) at 1 lap
15. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas-Ferrari) – 1 turn
16. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) – 1 turn
17. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) – 1 turn
18. George Russell (GBR/Williams-Mercedes) at 1 lap
19. Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) at 5 laps
* the subject of the investigation of the commissioners, his team is suspected of having used the blowers designed to cool the engine to dry out its position on the grid
fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:16.627 in the 70th round (average: 202,863 km/h)
Abandon:
Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda): gearbox 16th tour
