Zimpapers Logo

Lewis Hamilton fought up from a pit lane start and a first-lap spin to finish third as Daniel Ricciardo beat Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to win a sensational Hungarian Grand Prix.And there may well be words behind the scenes at Mercedes after Hamilton refused orders to let team-mate Nico Rosberg pass by during the race.

Hamilton judged a thrilling wet-dry race perfectly to hold off title rival Rosberg, who finished fourth.

The result reduced Hamilton’s deficit to Rosberg to 11 points.

A spectacular last 10 laps featured a three-way scrap for the lead when Alonso, Hamilton and Ricciardo’s diverging strategies brought them together, and with Rosberg closing fast after his own late stop.

But Ricciardo passed Alonso for the victory with three laps to go.

A few laps earlier, Hamilton had been told to let Rosberg by to maximise the German’s total race time.

Rosberg complained repeatedly on the radio, asking why Hamilton was not letting him past.

But Hamilton, realising that if he let Rosberg by he was at risk of finishing the race behind him, refused, saying: “Tell him to get closer.”

Rosberg’s stop on lap 56 ended the discussion, but it will certainly continue behind closed doors at Mercedes after the race.

One of the great F1 races saw the advantage swing backwards and forwards throughout after a wet start, two safety car periods and some thrilling racing in front of a large crowd.

Hamilton had survived a spin on the first lap and started to make up places, and was up to 13th when the first safety car period was triggered after a crash by Caterham’s Marcus Ericsson.

Ricciardo’s decisive move was to stop for fresh tyres when the second safety car period was caused by a crash involving Sergio Perez’s Force India
on lap 23.

That put Alonso into the lead, with Rosberg third and Hamilton fifth in a train of cars being held up by Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne in second when the race restarted on lap 27.

Rosberg pitted for fresh tyres five laps later, fitting ‘softs’ with the intention of making another stop.

Alonso and Hamilton waited until laps 38 and 39 for their own second stops, deciding not to pit again before the end of the 70-lap race.

Hamilton’s stop promoted Ricciardo to the lead until his own final stop on 54, from which he rejoined fourth, behind Alonso, Hamilton and Rosberg.

Ricciardo reduced the gap to the leaders rapidly, from 6.6 seconds behind Hamilton on  lap 57 to be on the Mercedes’ gearbox four laps later.

Alonso was battling worn ‘soft’ tyres, Hamilton was on slightly newer ‘medium’ tyres and Ricciardo and the rapidly  closing Rosberg in fourth on relatively fresh ‘softs’.

Alonso cut the chicane on lap 63, prompting Hamilton to complain that “Fernando gained an advantage” but soon  the Mercedes driver had to worry more about Ricciardo, who began to pile pressure  on with his extra grip. — BBC Sport