Esteban Ocon wins chaotic Hungarian GP as Hamilton takes the F1 lead

BUDAPEST, Hungary  — Frenchman Esteban Ocon received a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday while an fatigued Lewis Hamilton finished third to acquire the System 1 championship lead from Max Verstappen by 6 factors heading into the midseason break.

Hamilton needed a look at from the Mercedes crew medical professional just after the race.

“Had actually significant dizziness and anything got a little bit blurry,” he mentioned. “I have been fighting all year actually with the overall health, remaining healthier just after what took place at the end of previous year (with coronavirus).”

Verstappen put 10th just after being taken out early in the race by Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in a first-lap crash that prompted him and four many others to retire.

It was only the 24-year-previous Ocon’s 2nd podium, next a 2nd-put end at the Sakhir GP in Bahrain late previous year.

The Alpine driver finished forward of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. fourth forward of Ocon’s teammate Fernando Alonso.

“What a moment, feels so good,” Ocon mentioned, patting his coronary heart.

The crash in the rain was prompted by Bottas, who retired as a final result.

The race restarted in absurd fashion with only Hamilton on the grid, while many others were switching their tires due to the fact the observe experienced dried. Hamilton did the same a lap later and arrived out in previous put, a pair of spots at the rear of Verstappen.

But a intelligent 2nd tire modify by Mercedes for difficult tires on Lap twenty outwitted Crimson Bull and Hamilton moved forward of Verstappen just after he arrived in for new tires.

With 30 laps to go, the best four was Ocon-Vettel-Sainz Jr.-Hamilton.

To give Hamilton a shot at victory, Mercedes created a third tire modify with a little much more than twenty laps remaining.

But he experienced to get forward of the 40-year-previous Alonso first, a driver with 32 wins and ninety seven podiums, and amid the most proficient of his era.

Alonso held off a first attack on Lap 55 and blocked him two much more times on Lap 57 with stellar defending on the within.

Alonso’s nous was ample to repel two much more attacks.

“He is one particular of toughest drivers but good,” Hamilton mentioned. “I would say these days was a little little bit on the limit, but I absolutely get it and I would do it for my crew.”

When Hamilton at last got earlier there were only 5 laps remaining and Sainz Jr. just forward. He overtook him but by then the front two were much too significantly forward.

Hamilton’s bid for a a hundredth earn resumes on Aug. 29 at the Belgian GP in Spa, wherever Bottas will start out that race with a 5-put grid penalty.

Alonso’s excellent defensive driving served Ocon safe the victory and they hugged just after the race, with Alonso lifting him up in the air.

“We are forming a fantastic crew and pushing the crew in the right path,” Ocon mentioned.

Hamilton was again loudly jeered by sections of the crowd, as he was just after using pole situation on Saturday. He received the British GP two weeks in the past regardless of a ten-2nd penalty for using Verstappen out on the first lap.

Large rain fell shortly ahead of Sunday’s race and the observe was soaked. Hamilton got absent from pole but Verstappen shot forward of Bottas into 2nd.

McLaren’s Lando Norris also overtook Bottas, who bumped into the again of him — sending Norris sliding into Verstappen and both of those off observe. Bottas went into a tire wall and took out Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez on his way.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was jammed between Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo. Right after a crimson flag halted the race to make it possible for stewards to apparent the wrecked cars and trucks, Leclerc, Stroll, Norris and Perez also retired.

When the race restarted, Hamilton was by yourself on the grid while many others were ditching their moist-weather conditions tires to suit the now drying observe.

Hamilton experienced to do the same on the following lap and arrived out in previous put with Verstappen eleventh, while Ocon led from Vettel. Nikita Mazepin was the sixth to retire just after colliding with 2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo in the pit lane.

The sinewy and limited 4.4-kilometer (2.seven-mile) Hungaroring circuit is arguably the toughest observe to overtake on just after Monaco.

“I can’t get close to people,” mentioned Hamilton, who fell small of winning the race for a history-extending ninth time.

Ocon was when part of the Mercedes enhancement method and the team’s reserve driver two a long time in the past just after shedding his F1 seat.

He showed the talent Mercedes saw in him with a composed travel beneath force from Vettel, a four-time F1 champion with fifty three wins.

“Esteban did not make a solitary mistake,” Vettel mentioned. “It’s his day and his moment.”