Lewis Hamilton started from pole ahead of Verstappen who knocked Lewis Hamilton out at the first corner and never looked back
Post Date – 23rd Sunday, July 23rd at 11:10pm
Budapest: It took only seconds for Formula One champion Max Verstappen to assert his authority at Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, winning his seventh consecutive race in a season of overwhelming dominance.
Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton started from pole ahead of Verstappen, who knocked Lewis Hamilton down at the first corner and never looked back.
Red Bull’s 12-game winning streak, including the final race in 2022, breaks McLaren’s previous constructors’ winning streak set in 1988.
“It was a pleasure to drive, 12 races in a row is unbelievable,” Verstappen said. “It’s unbelievable. I’m really enjoying the last few moments.” Verstappen is heading towards a third consecutive F1 title. His ninth victory – plus the bonus of being the fastest lap – means the 25-year-old Dutchman has a 110-point lead over his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
McLaren driver Lando Norris finished second for the second race in a row and Perez scored his third podium in six races.
Verstappen’s career win total now stands at 44 – the same number as Hamilton’s.
Hamilton started from pole for the first time since the penultimate race in Saudi Arabia in 2021, which also saw him win his record 103rd F1 race. He hasn’t won since.
After a strong performance in qualifying, he felt he had a chance.
But Verstappen, who won from tenth last year, overtook a sluggish Hamilton heading into the first corner, while McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri overtook Hamilton, dropping him to fourth.
There, he completed the race on the 4.4km (2.7 miles) Hungaroring circuit, one of the most difficult overtaking circuits in F1.
Daniel Ricciardo finished 13th in his F1 comeback for AlphaTauri and beat teammate Yuki Tsunoda to 15th.
