Highlights of the Hungarian Grand Prix

Hamilton v. Verstappen - the showdown

Formula One could not have hoped for a better way to start the summer shutdown than a wheel-to-wheel battle between the current star of the sport and the leading light of the next generation. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen delighted fans with a multi-lap battle that saw the five-time world champion run wide into Turn 4 halfway through the race, forcing both teams to adapt their strategies for the second half as Mercedes gambled on fresh rubber being needed for the win. A stop for Hamilton on lap 49 put the Briton nearly 20 seconds behind on track, but gave Mercedes a 93 percent chance of securing the race win. It was a risky manoeuvre from the team, but Hamilton delivered on lap 67, powering past the Red Bull as the pair passed the pit exit, Verstappen’s tyres worn through.

Bottas’ bad day

Questions surrounding Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes future gained further momentum following the Finnish racer’s terrible afternoon at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Having out-qualified his teammate, a slow start dropped Bottas from second to fifth by the end of the first lap, passed by Lewis Hamilton in Turn 3, and both Ferraris not long after. Minor contact with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc led to wing damage for the Finn, and a stop for a new nose cone on lap 5 put Bottas at the back of the field on hard tyres. The strategy enabled a recovery to P8, below expectations for a Mercedes driver.

Changing strategy at Ferrari

While Mercedes’ Hungarian Grand Prix victory was a direct consequence of the team’s bold and flexible approach to race strategy, over on the Ferrari pit wall it was another matter entirely. Both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were moved from Plan A to Plan B, while Vettel was put on Plan C at the end of lap 39, extending his opening run for a late switch to the soft compound. The strategy swap played into the German racer’s hands -- while Leclerc had been the dominant Ferrari for much of Sunday afternoon, after a wheel-to-wheel battle between the two prancing horses it was Vettel who came out ahead, claiming the final podium position.