It was a happy return to the scene of his first victory in 2006 for McLaren’s Jenson Button, with rumours of his untimely demise greatly exaggerated.
Not for the first time since his switch to McLaren, or indeed this season, brave tactical decisions in changeable conditions benefitted the 2009 world champion.
Sick hackers had caused a scare by infiltrating Button’s own personal website and placing a story suggesting he had been seriously injured in a Budapest traffic accident, but in reality it was all good news for Jenson in his 200th grand prix start.
Vettel retains his lead at the start (© Getty Images)
The slippery start saw poleman Sebastian Vettel stay ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Button holding station in third, but the fun really started when the rain returned and tyre choice became the big factor. Hamilton and Button, who’d moved ahead of Vettel in the dampening conditions and first pitstops, traded places at the front before Lewis decided to come in for intermediate tyres. Jenson ignored radio calls to queue up in the pitlane and stayed out on slicks – and the rain dried up.
A spin had left Hamilton stranded in the middle of the track, but his impressive handbrake turn to point himself back in the right direction forced a startled Paul Di Resta to dive off-track in the Force India and this didn’t impress the stewards. With another stop for slicks and then a drivethrough penalty, the rueful Hamilton found himself fourth and 55 seconds behind his race-leading team-mate.
With Vettel suffering brake issues during the race, his second place was an excellent result that keeps the reigning world champion a country mile ahead of the field in this year’s standings. Mark Webber admitted that the wrong tyre choice around lap 50 cost him dear as the recovering Hamilton pipped him for fourth place.
The two Toro Rossos in action in Hungary (© Getty Images)
At Ferrari, better luck with tyre choice meant that Fernando Alonso recovered from a horrible start, that saw both prancing horses fall behind the Mercedes pairing of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, to complete the podium, though a spin for Felipe Massa later on in the race meant he had to be content with sixth place.
Elsewhere there was drama for the embattled Renault team and driver Nick Heidfeld as he was forced to leap from his burning R31, which appeared to explode as fire marshals battled to quench the flames from the left sidepod. Jerome D’Ambrosio followed this unusual event with another one, managing to spin the Virgin into his pitbox. Fortunately no one was injured in either incident.
Toro Rosso survived some close racing incidents with their rivals (and each other) late on to celebrate their 100th grand prix with points for both drivers – eighth place for Sébastien Buemi, who’d recovered from 23rd place, and 10th for Jaime Alguersuari.
Daniel Ricciardo on his way to 18th place (© Hispania Racing)
Rookie Daniel Ricciardo got the better of more experienced team-mate Tonio Liuzzi as he guided his Hispania car home in a very respectable 18th place in just his third F1 race start.
Hungarian Grand Prix podium
1. Jenson Button (GBR), McLaren – 1:46:42.337
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER), Red Bull – +3.5 secs
3. Fernando Alonso (SPA), Ferrari – +19.8 secs
F1 Drivers’ Championship standings
1. Sebastian Vettel (GER), Red Bull – 234pts
2. Mark Webber (AUS), Red Bull – 149pts
3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR), McLaren – 146pts
4. Fernando Alonso (SPA), Ferrari – 145pts
5. Jenson Button (GBR), McLaren – 134pts
F1 Constructors’ Championship standings
1. Red Bull – 383pts
2. McLaren – 280pts
3. Ferrari – 215pts
Vettel attempts to fend off the two McLarens (© Getty Images)
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