Lewis Hamilton has claimed the lead in the World Championship for the first time in 2016 after claiming victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, his fifth triumph in total around the Hungaroring circuit.
The Mercedes AMG PETRONAS driver started the race from second on the grid but assumed the lead from team-mate Nico Rosberg at the first corner, also withstanding the great start made by Daniel Ricciardo to claim his fifth victory of the season.
Hamilton even survived a scare when he made a mistake at turn twelve, but was able to maintain the lead from his team-mate, with the reigning World Champion admitting the high temperatures at the Hungaroring made it difficult to get longevity out of the tyres.
“I don’t know what the secret is here,” said Hamilton. “Naturally, having a great team and everything coming together is key. But it’s a track that I think really works well for an aggressive driver.
“Today was one of the hottest races I can remember here. Looking after the tyres in those conditions was really hard, so I’m glad I managed. Thank you to everyone in the team for all their hard work – and to all the fans I have here.
“I didn’t know how long the tyres were going to last, so trying to spend the money wisely in terms of tyre life and being able to push when I needed to push was a tricky balance to find.
“The race was going really well and I was just thinking “huh, no mistakes so far” when I managed to lock up and went off at T12! At that point I was like “hey, stay focused and get back on it!” which luckily I managed to do.
“I’ve not really thought about the standings much but it’s definitely a good feeling to get the job done here – particularly as it’s not been my strongest weekend. Not as strong as Silverstone, for example. But it’s been an awesome few races and I’ve just got to keep that kind of form up for the rest of the season.”
