Lewis today took his 48th career victory - his fifth at the Hungaroring and fifth of the 2016 season so far. Nico completed a third Silver Arrows 1-2 of the season in P2. Lewis (192) leads the Drivers' Championship by six points from Nico (186) in P2. Mercedes AMG Petronas (378) lead Ferrari (224) by 154 points in the Constructors' Championship.
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: We're delighted with today's result. To take a one-two finish at a circuit that hasn't been so good to us in the past two years is really satisfying. This place has been Red Bull and Ferrari territory, so it just shows what a great place we have got to with our chassis and engine package that we were able to take such a strong finish and control the race like we did. It was a race that needed a lot of management and we had told the drivers all weekend that winning would depend on making the tyres last. They both did this really well - though when things got a bit close for comfort in the second stint, we asked Lewis to pick up the pace and he responded well to build the gap we needed after Red Bull rolled the dice with Ricciardo's strategy. The back markers were a challenge like always here, particularly some of the usual suspects, but they didn't end up influencing the outcome which was good. There has been a lot of talk about the Championship situation but, if this was a football match, we'd have only just completed the first half. There's still a very long way to go this season. We have seen a lot of action so far and I am sure there will be much more to come...
Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): After the rather drawn out excitement of yesterday's Qualifying session we were hoping for something slightly more straightforward today - and so it proved to be. Strong starts from all of the top five drivers meant they came into T1 in close formation. It looked for a moment like Lewis might lose the lead he'd grasped off the line and that Nico would find himself down to third. However, great driving from both saw Lewis hang on in front while Nico produced a fantastic manoeuvre around the outside at T2 to re-establish a 1-2 for the team. From there, it was a matter of controlling the pace and tyre usage through a two stop strategy. Red Bull chose to make a very early final stop for Ricciardo which put some pressure on us - as I'm sure it was intended to do. But both cars were able to respond with enough pace to keep him covered and stick to our original plan. Overall an excellent 1-2 finish and an excellent way to cap off the first half of the season, which we can be very proud of thus far. Congratulations to the drivers - and also to the pit crew, who achieved a second consecutive fastest race pit stop. We now very much look forward to our home race in Germany next week.
Maurizio Arrivabene: "Today we saw a great reaction from the whole team. Once again, we were able to show that we never give up. Our drivers did an outstanding race really giving their best and, if Seb could have benefited from a better starting position, the final result would surely have been different. As for Kimi, he showed that he fully deserved his contract to be extended into next year. Having said that, when you don't reach the podium you can't be satisfied, and indeed we aren't: but this does not mean that we are not ready to take the fight to the end."
Valtteri Bottas finished 9th and Felipe Massa 18th in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Valtteri started 10th but gained a position on the opening lap. Valtteri ran a long first stint on the supersoft tyre before pitting on lap 16. He switched to the soft tyres on lap 43 and was able to manage them until the end of the race.
Felipe encountered steering rack issues on the way to the grid and the crew worked hard to try and fix it before the start of the race. The issue was improved to a degree that Felipe was able to race the car. Felipe stopped on lap 25 switching to a one-stop strategy, but due to tyre wear issues he switched back to a two-stop on lap 65 to ensure he had good pace to the end of the race. Valtteri remains seventh in the Drivers' Championship with Felipe remaining ninth. The team extends the gap to Force India to 20 points, maintaining fourth in the Constructors' Championship.
Rob Smedley, Head of Performance Engineering: I'm disappointed with that result. We had to work very hard for those two points. I think we achieved the maximum we could with Valtteri, he drove a solid race, but the pace of the car is just not there. After Felipe's accident yesterday the car was out of balance and he just couldn't get into a rhythm. Starting from 18th with an un-balanced car was always going to be difficult. He had a steering rack issue, after we had to re-build the car following his crash in qualifying, which meant the steering was off centre and was heavy in right-hand corners. We had to try and get it fixed before the race, both in the garage and on the grid. The guys did a very commendable job. Operationally, the strategy was good today, as were the pitstops. There wasn't much more we could have done. These are tough times for the team. We have to knuckle down, be introspective, work as a team and start to understand how we're going to get more performance from the car.
Christian Horner, Team Principal: "After a promising start. It was impossible to cover Sebastian (Vettel) with both cars, so we covered with the lead car which was Daniel, therefore unfortunately Max dropped behind after the first round of stops and thereafter both drivers entered into battles with the respective Ferrari drivers, Daniel versus Seb and Max versus Kimi (Raikkonen). There was some great racing between the four of them, some robust defending from our guys particularly Max, who was firm but fair holding off Kimi. It was great to see Daniel finishing on the podium again, and to close the gap on Ferrari to within one point at the halfway point of the year."
Sahara Force India scored a point in today's Hungarian Grand Prix as Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez raced to tenth and eleventh places.
Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: "We leave Budapest with a sense of unrealised potential. Ultimately, our race result was determined by the tricky qualifying session yesterday, which put us on the back foot in terms of track position - which is very important here. Nico lost out to Bottas at the start and was tucked up in a train of cars for much of the race - especially behind Kvyat - and could not make the most of his superior race pace. With Checo we were contemplating a one-stop race, but it soon became clear he was struggling on the medium tyres. When we switched him to the two-stop there was a miscommunication on the pit wall, which cost us extra time in the pit stop. Given the challenges we have faced over the last couple of days, it's still encouraging to pick up a point - and it's only the second time in the team's history that we've scored points in Budapest. We know there is good speed in the car and I'm confident we can make better use of it in Germany next week."
Renault Sport Formula One Team driver Jolyon Palmer was a half-spin away from his first Formula 1 points as both he and Kevin Magnussen moved up the order in a hot and fast-paced Hungarian Grand Prix. Jolyon was running comfortably in P10 with strong pace relative to those around him when the rear of his R.S.16 stepped out at turn four. Despite catching the spin Jolyon was unable to recover the resultant lost positions. Nevertheless, he still finished P12 in a race he described as his 'best-ever'. Kevin finished in P15 after starting from P19.
Kevin started the race from P19 with new set of Pirelli's red supersoft tyres. He changed to new supersofts on lap 24 then new soft compound (yellow) tyres on lap 36. Jolyon started the race in P17 on new soft tyres. He changed to new supersofts on lap 26 then new softs on lap 39.
Fred Vasseur, Team Principal: "That was a strong race for us and illustrates the progress being made. It's no secret that our primary focus has moved to next year's car but we still have good potential to score in 2016. Both drivers did a very good job, but Jolyon's performance was particularly notable after missing most of Friday's running. His spin was unfortunate, especially as his first Formula 1 points were there for the taking. Overall the team and both drivers have worked very well this weekend and made a great recovery from the back of the grid in a race where there was only one retirement. We hope to continue this trajectory in Hockenheim."
Franz Tost (Team Principal): "Today's was not an easy race, as the teams in the midfield are very close together. Alonso was able to gain a position at the start of the race and after that it wasn't possible for Carlos to overtake him. He therefore finished in eighth position, which on one side is good because we could add some points to our tally, but on the other side McLaren scored more than us and is now very close to us in the Constructors' Championship. This will make it tricky for us during the next races, but I think that our chassis is performing very well and we still have a good chance to defend our position. Daniil had a problem at the start which we have to investigate, as this made him loose many positions. It's a shame, as his pace during the race was very competitive, especially on the Super Soft tyres. We now look forward and work hard to prepare for next week's race at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany."
The Sauber F1 Team finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in P17 (Felipe Nasr) and P20 (Marcus Ericsson). Starting positions from P16 (Nasr) and from the pit lane (Ericsson) led to a difficult race. Now the Swiss team is already on its way to the last Grand Prix in Hockenheim/Germany before the Formula One summer break.
Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: "We cannot be satisfied with this result. Looking at our starting positions it was already difficult from the beginning. We know that overtaking on this track is almost impossible. It was definitely not a trouble-free weekend. The car crew had to change Marcus' chassis. And without speculating, it is questionable not sticking to the regulations (107% rule) regarding the starting grid. Nevertheless we are pleased to have more stability within the team from now on."
It was mixed fortunes for the McLaren-Honda team at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso had a trouble-free race, starting in seventh position and maintaining his gap to the competition behind to finish in the same place in which he had started, bringing home six valuable world championship points.
Conversely, Jenson Button suffered bad luck throughout his afternoon. On lap four, a sensor failure caused his brakes to stop functioning properly, and the team was forced to give him the necessary information over the garage-to-car radio so as to resolve the issue. Already in last place despite having started eighth, he then incurred a drive-through penalty for transgressing the new regulations in respect of radio communications. After a valiant drive from the back of the field to try to make up some of the positions he had lost, he retired on lap 60 owing to an oil leak while fighting Felipe Massa for 18th place.
Eric Boullier, Racing Director: "Jenson was unfortunate to have a promising weekend brought to an untimely end by an oil leak, which led to the most disappointing initials in racing: DNF.
"He'd driven very well all weekend - in fact he may even have qualified even better than his eventual P8 yesterday if his run hadn't been compromised through no fault of his own - but I guess that's racing.
"As for Fernando, I may be wrong, but I think the consistency he's demonstrated over the past three days may be a record-breaker. It reads as follows: FP1: P7; FP2: P7; FP3: P7; Quali: P7; Race: P7. Not quite seventh heaven, but a solid and encouraging performance that underlines the good progress we're making all the time.
"From here we'll travel to Baden-Württemberg, for the German Grand Prix, the last race of the first half of the season. The Hockenheim circuit may not suit our car / power unit combo quite as well as did the Hungaroring this weekend, but we'll be gunning for points yet again; be in no doubt of that."
Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: "It was a positive weekend for the team to be leading the midfield pack. We were consistently the fourth-quickest team, with Fernando finishing 'best of the rest' in P7 in all the sessions, which once again displays our progress as a team, and helps build confidence for the second half of the season.
"On the other hand, Jenson was hampered with a brake system sensor issue, which put him at the back of the field in the early laps of the race. In the end, the team had to retire his car due to an oil leak. At the moment, we don't see any issue with the power unit, but the team will continue to investigate.
"It was another bitter-sweet weekend to see one side of the garage happy and the other disappointed."
Dave Ryan, Racing Director: "Today's race was every bit the challenge we anticipated. We tried different strategies again to cover all bases, but with only one retirement, that really was the best result possible. Both drivers did a good job to optimise their respective strategies, just in case the race came to us, and Pascal did well to keep Ericsson behind until the end of the race. A quick turnaround and on to Germany now, for Pascal's home race and that of our powertrain partner Mercedes HPP. Hopefully we can put on a good performance there."
Haas F1 Team drivers Esteban Gutierrez and Romain Grosjean finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in Budapest.
Grosjean started 11th and Gutierrez 15th in the 70-lap race around the 4.381-kilometer (2.722-mile), 14-turn circuit. Each driver selected the Pirelli P Zero Red supersoft tire for the start, with strategy dictating two subsequent pit stops, both for brand new sets of Yellow soft tires.
Gutierrez made the better getaway when the lights turned green, climbing from 15th to 12th at the end of the opening lap, just behind Grosjean. He leapfrogged his teammate after the first round of scheduled stops, with Grosjean slipping into the pits at the end of lap 14, followed by Gutierrez a lap later. Running firmly in the midfield throughout much of the race, Gutierrez enjoyed a solid run and at one stage was locked in a tight battle for 13th, mixing it up with the entries from Force India, Williams and Toro Rosso.
The second and final round of pit stops saw Grosjean come in for service on lap 37 and Gutierrez on lap 38. Gutierrez eventually climbed to 11th on lap 49, but a lost spot to Force India's Sergio Perez to fall to 12th. Then after the checkered flag, Gutierrez was assessed a five-second penalty for ignoring the blue flags as eventual race winner Lewis Hamilton lapped him, dropping him to 13th.
Grosjean, meanwhile, struggled with his car's balance for much of the race. Nonetheless, he managed to hold the Renault of Kevin Magnussen at bay in the closing stages to claim 14th.
Eleven rounds into the 21-race Formula One schedule, Haas F1 Team remains eighth in the constructor standings with 28 points, but seventh-place McLaren put some distance on the American team, extending its advantage to 10 points courtesy of Fernando Alonso's seventh-place effort. Ninth-place Renault finished outside the points, allowing Haas F1 Team to maintain its 22-point buffer.
Hamilton's victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix was his fifth at the Hungaroring, making him the winningest driver at the circuit. It was also Hamilton's 48th career Formula One victory and his fifth this season. Most importantly, the triumph placed the reigning champion into the points lead for the first time this season. Hamilton came into the Hungarian Grand Prix trailing his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg by a solitary point. He leaves Hungary with a six-point advantage over Rosberg, who finished second to Hamilton by 1.977 seconds after starting from the pole.
Guenther Steiner: "A lot of work for little reward. We ended up 13th and 14th. Esteban did a good job and Romain did as well. It was just our strategy didn't work out how we wanted. Esteban got a penalty for ignoring the blue flag. We're going to look at that properly and evaluate it. In our opinion it was a harsh decision, but moving forward we'll see what needs to be done. All in all, the team worked hard. We'll head to Germany and try to improve today's results. Our aim is always to get into the points, so we'll be pushing for that."
The hottest track temperatures seen so far all season characterised the Hungarian Grand Prix, peaking at 54 degrees centigrade.
Most competitors started on the supersoft compound before switching as expected to the more durable soft compound for the final two stints.
The highest-placed alternative strategy was Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in sixth, who started on the soft tyre and then did two stints on the supersoft: which was more than a second faster than the soft.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the race (marking the halfway point of the season) from second on the grid after claiming the lead at the start and maintaining it despite strong opposition from his team mate Nico Rosberg, who was frequently less than a second behind him. An equally close battle was fought for the final podium place between Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
Paul Hembery: "After an afternoon of torrential rain yesterday, we had the hottest track temperatures seen all year today. As a result of yesterday's rain, the drivers had a good selection of new tyres to choose from, which they made the most of today. In these challenging conditions everyone was pushing from start to finishing, following for the most part a two-stop strategy as we expected. A few drivers tried something different, notably the varied approaches between Red Bull and Ferrari, which meant that their drivers were challenging for position all the way to the final lap."
Truthometer
We predicted a winning strategy of two stops, and that's exactly how it turned out to be for the majority of competitors. Our predicted strategy was start on supersoft and then change to soft on laps 12 and 41. In the end, Hamilton went longer than we thought, making his first stop on lap 21 and his second stop on 46 out of 70. This was also helped by the wet qualifying, which caused the supersoft tyres to experience less degradation.
