Wayne Lumbasi
World champion Max Verstappen took full advantage of another Ferrari implosion on Sunday to increase his lead in this year’s title race with a measured victory for Red Bull at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen started 10th after being hit by engine trouble in qualifying but worked his way through the order and found himself in the fight for the lead when Ferrari switched Charles Leclerc onto hard tires, which proved to be a critical error.
Lewis Hamilton finished a strong second place after recovering from seventh on the grid, with Mercedes teammate and pole sitter George Russell completing the podium in third.
Sergio Perez was fifth in between the Ferrari pair, while Lando Norris took seventh for McLaren, ahead of the squabbling Alpine pair of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.
Verstappen now has an 80-point advantage over Leclerc with nine races left. Given Red Bull’s consistency and Ferrari’s unreliability, this margin appears unbreakable.
Red Bull Racing racked up 431 points to lead this season’s Constructor Standings. Ferrari are second with 334 points, and Mercedes are third with 304 points. Belgium will host the next Grand Prix on Aug. 28.
