From second on the grid behind polesitting Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, Hamilton took the lead into the first corner and controlled the race from there.
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Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez has called Lewis Hamilton “disrespectful” following an incident during yesterday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The next F1 meet will be the German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring on July 31. Hamilton has now triumphed more times in Hungary than any other driver in the sport’s history.
It is a remarkable turnaround for the Briton who feared his chances of winning a third successive title were all but over after slipping 43 points behind Rosberg with a combination of bad luck and auto trouble plaguing the early part of his season.
“I’m not a fan of penalising every single one because we need to race as well, but I think it was pretty much what I was trying to say earlier”. It’s important we try and go from strength to strength. The only way was up. “I got a good start and one of the Red Bulls was on the inside of me so I was pressured a lot into turn one”. I’m very proud of that – but I am conscious there’s a long way to go.
“It doesn’t mean I’m 25 points behind. Today I really owned it and did what I had to do”.
Hamilton had a two second lead to team-mate Nico Rosberg before coming across Gutierrez on-track.
Rosberg felt Hamilton did drive “over-cautiously”, but did not go as far as what unfolded in China.
“He could have closed the gap if he wanted to”.
With teammate Nico Rosberg in hot pursuit, Hamilton, who had previously eased off appearing to force the German into the clutches of Daniel Ricciardo, was now on a charge again. Matters then got worse for Rosberg, who dropped to third behind Ricciardo, before he swept around the outside of the Red Bull with an impressive overtake at turn two.
Jolyon Palmer missed out on an opportunity to score the first points of his F1 career when he spun at Turn 4 on lap 49 while running in tenth place. If I had pushed a little bit more at the end, maybe I wouldn’t have got to the end the way I needed to.
“It was completely in my grasp”. They worked well and performed some great pit stops. I think he is respectful, he is the world champion, but he shouldn’t do these kinds of things. The duel allowed Rosberg to sit comfortably in second place while Hamilton was ahead by over two seconds from his team mate. “I don’t know why”.
Both Mercedes men admitted the race had been won and lost in that opening lap battle.
He was told to continue which prompted a rather sarcastic reply from the 2009 world champion. “A race from hell this is going to be!” was his response. Whereas, his teammate, Jenson Button, had to retire following several issues with the auto and a drive-through penalty for an “illegal” radio communication.
“It’s a stupid regulation”, said Button.
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“I’m driving like a grandma”.
