2022 Hungarian Grand Prix report and highlights: Verstappen recovers from P10 to take Hungarian GP win as Mercedes safe double podium

Max Verstappen received the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix from P10 with pitch-perfect execution of Purple Bull’s technique, whereas Lewis Hamilton completed second forward of his pole-sitting Mercedes group mate George Russell.

Russell led on gentle tyres and pitted on Lap 15, soft-shod Verstappen pitting from P5 a lap later to drive Carlos Sainz to pit from the lead. Charles Leclerc in the meantime stayed out within the lead, extending his first stint till Lap 22. Russell led once more however was handed by Sainz on Lap 31. So, from P4, Verstappen pressured the problem with a second cease for mediums on Lap 39.

Crucially, with that cease, Verstappen had pulled off an undercut on Sainz and had a bonus on Leclerc too, the Monegasque beginning on mediums to swap for a similar compound after a prolonged first stint – and from the lead pitting from onerous tyres effectively after Verstappen. The Dutchman cleared his rival with ease quickly after that and it turned clear that onerous tyres weren’t the reply; Leclerc falling to P6 as he switched once more for softs whereas Verstappen received by 7.8s.

And that was regardless of a 360-degree spin that nearly value Verstappen on the last nook and compelled him to make one other overtake on Leclerc.

Hamilton began seventh on mediums, cleared the Alpines, pitted for mediums and stayed out lengthy to make sure he might end the race on softs, which ensured he might go the likes of Sainz after which Russell to complete second.

Having began on pole, Russell couldn’t convert that to a win, his soft-medium-medium technique seeing him find yourself third forward of Sainz, who was value by gradual pit stops to complete fourth behind the Mercedes. Sainz nonetheless held off Sergio Perez by a second, whereas Leclerc couldn’t use his gentle tyres to go Perez and ended up sixth behind the Purple Bull on one other disappointing day for the Scuderia.

Lando Norris beat the Alpines to seventh, whereas Fernando Alonso completed P8 on the expense of group mate Esteban Ocon. Sebastian Vettel scrapped with Lance Stroll to guide his Canadian group mate for P10.

Pierre Gasly took P12, comfortably forward of 13th-place Zhou Guanyu. Mick Schumacher was subsequent, whereas Daniel Ricciardo might solely handle 15th due to a five-second penalty forward of the opposite Haas of Kevin Magnussen – who was concerned in a minor collision early on.

Williams have been subsequent, Alex Albon ending forward of Nicholas Latifi in P17 and P18 respectively, whereas a spin noticed Yuki Tsunoda end 19th and final for AlphaTauri.

Valtteri Bottas stopped 5 laps from the tip to convey out a Digital Security Automobile and a last-place classification for the Alfa Romeo.

AS IT HAPPENED

Spots of rain threatened so as to add much more drama to a weekend that has already seen Nicholas Latifi lead a session, George Russell take his maiden pole place to maintain the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at bay – after which Max Verstappen qualify 10th forward of group mate Sergio Perez.

In the meantime, Pierre Gasly would start from the pit lane with a brand new energy unit, one thing Purple Bull additionally opted to suit for each drivers after their qualifying glitch, however, given particular dispensation to take action by the FIA, neither Perez nor Verstappen took grid penalties.

The drivers sported a spread of Pirellis, Russell on used softs from pole, Lando Norris taking used softs from P4, his group mate Daniel Ricciardo following go well with (from P9), together with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (new softs). Additional down the highest 10, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly would start on new softs whereas the remainder of the grid opted for brand spanking new medium compounds.

The lights went out to finish the feverous anticipation, Russell holding off a charging Sainz, who tried to pry the lead across the exterior of Flip 1 whereas Hamilton cleared the Alpines – Fernando Alonso baulking at Esteban Ocon squeezing him at Flip 1 – to enter fifth, Verstappen as much as eighth and Perez ninth after Lap 1. The Digital Security Automobile was then deployed for collisions between Magnussen and Ricciardo and one other between Vettel and Albon, however the warning was swiftly withdrawn to restart the race on Lap 3.

Russell gained a bounce on the Ferraris because the VSC withdrew, Hamilton tailing fourth-place Nroris, whereas Verstappen was badgering the Alpines of Ocon in P6 and Alonso in P7, Perez additionally giving chase. Alonso exclaimed that he was “a lot sooner” than Ocon however on Lap 5 the two-time champion ran large at Flip Three and Verstappen swept by for P7.

Verstappen made one other transfer on Lap 7, prying P6 off Ocon and now it was reigning champion versus seven-time champion for P5, Perez behind utilizing DRS and going spherical the skin of Flip 2 quickly after for P8 at Alonso’s expense. Perez would wrestle seventh off Ocon two laps later to make it a Purple Bull six-seven.

Magnussen had made it into the battle for factors however was pressured to pit on Lap 7 after his early scrap with Ricciardo; the Alfa Romeos had fallen down the order with poor begins, Bottas 12th and Zhou Guanyu 16th.

Russell’s hole to Sainz stood at round 2.5 seconds because the counter reached Lap 10 of 70 however the Mercedes driver had a set of soppy tyres to nurse, as did Norris and the Purple Bulls. Norris quickly discovered himself making a bottleneck with each Hamilton and Verstappen tailing him for that coveted fourth-place spot and a shot on the Scuderia.

Hamilton loved a superior run to Flip 1 on Lap 12 and went spherical the within of Norris for P4, Verstappen going across the exterior of the McLaren simply after that to go away him sixth forward of Perez – who would take that place off him with DRS one lap later.

Verstappen started to complain, with some vibrant language, that his clutch was slipping, and shortly he would drop off Hamilton’s rear wing; Leclerc would ask his pit wall if Sainz might velocity up. Certainly, Sainz was choosing up the tempo having reduce the hole to 1.2s by the beginning of Lap 15, DRS his privilege one lap later when the decision to field was given. Sainz skipped the pit entry and as an alternative, it was Russell who stopped for mediums – Verstappen following – to emerge sixth at the beginning of Lap 17.

Russell got here out of the pits – his cease barely gradual – solely to seek out Alonso making an attempt to battle him across the exterior of Turns 1-4, however the Mercedes simply held on.

Sainz took his cease on Lap 17 nevertheless it wasn’t ultimate both and he was launched between the Alpines in P6, with Alonso and Verstappen behind him. Crucially, Sainz was now on the identical tyre as Russell however with Ocon the impediment between himself and the pole-sitter. Ocon was cleared with ease on Lap 19 (when Perez pitted and emerged 10th in site visitors) and so Leclerc was within the lead, 11.5s forward of Hamilton and one other 7.5s forward of Russell because the ticker reached Lap 20.

Hamilton took the cue to cease from P2 on Lap 20, however with Verstappen lighting up the sectors, the Dutchman efficiently managed to undercut the Mercedes that emerged in P7. The reigning champion was comfortably up the highway in P5 having cleared Alonso simply as Hamilton had stopped for one more set of mediums, Verstappen taking one other place off Ocon on the next tour.

That new set of mediums not solely gave Verstappen an undercut on Hamilton, plus two locations off the Alpines, however the tempo to threaten then-leader Leclerc, who was pressured to cowl off the Dutchman with a stable cease for mediums on Lap 22. That launched Russell again into the lead, Leclerc rising forward of Sainz.

Alpine’s technique was contrarian: Alonso pitted for hards on Lap 22 whereas Ocon got here in for a similar compounds two laps later. Ocon emerged in battle together with his group mate and Ricciardo then noticed a possibility, pouncing on the pair at Flip Three to leap them and go 10th behind the yet-to-stop Alfa Romeos – whereas Alonso was left pissed off having didn’t get previous his group mate.

So as to add insult to damage, Aston Martin’s Stroll would quickly take P12 off Alonso, passing Ocon by Lap 30, because the Alpines started to wrestle. Vettel compounded Alpine’s woes, choosing off Alonso two laps later after which Ocon on Lap 39.

Russell’s lead over Leclerc was dropping because the Monegasque driver turned up the tempo and on Lap 27 the Ferrari was in DRS vary of the Mercedes, taking a look however declining to not go into Flip 1. The next lap noticed a extra dedicated try and take the lead, however Russell held Leclerc off in a wheel-to-wheel skirmish on the downhill run to Flip 5.

The battle continued, Russell going barely large at Flip 2 on Lap 29 however Leclerc declining to not strive a transfer down the hill, as an alternative making an attempt that on Lap 30 – the Mercedes driver taking unconventional, large traces to tempt the Ferrari earlier than swooping into the apex to disclaim him the lead pretty however sternly.

Leclerc saved his cool and the lastly despatched it on Lap 31, DRS giving Leclerc a run on the Mercedes and late braking giving Leclerc the lead across the exterior of Flip 1. They are saying that when it rains, it pours, and Russell now had Sainz and Verstappen catching as much as his rear wing – whereas quite a few drivers started to report drizzle on their visors on the midway mark.

Sainz preyed on Russell’s Mercedes however might solely hover round DRS vary. However Leclerc proved his tempo on the recent set of mediums, extending to a 4.8-second lead by Lap 39. It was then that Verstappen broke the seal and went for an aggressive undercut technique by pitting for one more set of mediums, Leclerc reacting to pit for hards on Lap 40 and Russell altering to mediums just a few seconds later.

Verstappen’s undercut labored, the cease releasing him forward of Russell and nearer to the hard-shod Leclerc. Leclerc’s tyres have been chilly, and Verstappen was too; the Dutchman swept previous the Ferrari down the within of Flip 1 on Lap 41. Though Sainz was main Hamilton, Verstappen had executed an excellent technique that probably gave him the online lead of the race.

On the penultimate nook, a puff of smoke signalled that every one was not proper as Verstappen bought on the throttle and spun 360 levels, placing him again behind Leclerc and permitting Russell an opportunity to overhaul Verstappen at Flip 1. Russell couldn’t make the transfer, nevertheless, and Verstappen shrugged off his spin to select the tempo again up, closing again as much as the rear wing of Leclerc and passing him as soon as extra at Flip 2 on Lap 45.

Again on the entrance, Sainz and Hamilton have been but to take their second stops with Verstappen chipping away at a 12-second hole to the lead – and drivers nonetheless reporting mild drizzle.

Sainz selected to take his second cease on Lap 48 for softs, however the tyre change was gradual and noticed him emerge fifth forward of Perez – who had stopped 5 laps prior. Yellow flags briefly flew as Stroll and Ricciardo pitted in tandem and collided within the battle for P11 at Flip 2, with the Australian receiving a five-second time penalty.

With Sainz having taken his second cease, Hamilton was within the lead on Lap 51 – Verstappen simply 3.5s behind. Leclerc, in the meantime, was third however solely half a second forward of Russell because the medium tyres appeared at this stage the superior possibility. Hamilton determined to pit on the finish of that tour, diving in for a set of softs and rising fifth forward of Perez.

With one Mercedes briefly stationary, the opposite was flying. Russell was proper on the diffuser of Leclerc’s Ferrari within the battle for P3, and on Lap 54 he made the transfer for P2 with ease across the exterior of Flip 1. Verstappen was eight seconds up the highway, and Leclerc’s facet reacted by pitting him for softs.

Hamilton quickly proved to be the quickest man on observe, passing Sainz – each drivers on softs – at Flip 1 on Lap 63. Russell quickly discovered himself within the clutches of his group mate and now we had an intra-team battle for P2 at Mercedes, Hamilton getting a greater exit from Flip 1 on Lap 65 and prying the place away – group boss Toto Wolff watching on from the Mercedes storage.

Bottas reported a lack of energy on Lap 68 and the Digital Security Automobile was then deployed to gradual the sector, Verstappen main forward of Hamilton and Russell. The VSC was withdrawn in the midst of Lap 69, from the place Verstappen comfortably led to win by almost eight seconds. Perez was within the clutches of soft-shod Leclerc however the Ferrari driver couldn’t salvage P5 on the ultimate lap, ending up three-tenths behind the Purple Bull in P6.

With Mercedes finishing the rostrum in a mirror picture of the top-three standings at Paul Ricard, Sainz completed fourth from second – one higher than he had from P19 in France.

Norris ended up seventh because the final driver on the lead lap, shrugging off a gradual pit cease earlier on to overtake each Alpines, Alonso having completed in eighth and effectively behind the McLaren, Alpine’s medium-to-hard one-stopper having didn’t reap main reward.

Stroll made it into the highest 10 at Bottas’s expense on Lap 63 however the two Aston Martins then made contact – one thing they averted on the final lap in France – with medium-shod Vettel quickly passing his soft-shod group mate to take P10.

Pierre Gasly managed to complete an nameless P12 after his pit lane begin, comfortably forward of Zhou however effectively behind Stroll. Although Mick Schumacher was handed by Ricciardo early on, the German completed forward of the Australian, due to his five-second time penalty for his earlier tangle with Stroll.

Albon led Latifi, who mentioned that his automotive was “everywhere, a catastrophe, actually”, with Yuki Tsunoda 19th and solely forward of the stationary Alfa Romeo of Bottas, due to a Lap 36 spin on the chicane.

The rain stayed away however there was a cloud over Ferrari, who entered Hungary on the lookout for a one-two end but have been as soon as once more outscored by Mercedes, whereas Verstappen pulled off a extremely unlikely win half in due to an ingenious Purple Bull technique.

Key quote

“I used to be in fact hoping I might get near the rostrum, however very tough situations on the market. However we had a very good technique, we have been actually reactive and at all times pitting on the proper at time, I feel we had some good out-laps and on the finish even with 360, we received the race!

“It was excellent, I used to be battling a variety of guys, so it was a variety of enjoyable on the market… a loopy race and naturally very pleased that we received’t it” – Max Verstappen, Purple Bull

What’s subsequent?

Purple Bull get pleasure from a 97-point lead within the constructors’ championship; Verstappen has an 80-point lead within the drivers’ standings, and the groups and drivers have a break to mirror on the primary half of the season. Motion resumes with the Belgian Grand Prix on August 26-28.