PAUL LOGOTHETIS
AP auto racing writer
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday for the defending Formula One champion’s first victory of the season.
It was Hamilton’s first win since last year’s Chinese GP and snapped a streak of 11 races without a top-three finish.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen came second and Red Bull’s Mark Webber finished third to move second in the overall title race, after teammate Sebastian Vettel retired with an engine problem.
Pole sitter Fernando Alonso of Renault retired early after one of his front tires came off.
Overall leader Jenson Button finished seventh and now leads Webber by 18.5 points.
The race was overshadowed by the missing Felipe Massa of Ferrari, who remained sedated in a hospital with multiple skull fractures after a crash during qualifying.
Hamilton finished 11.5 seconds ahead of Raikkonen for his 10th win from 45 races.
Hamilton starting pumping his fists in celebration before even crossing the line, unable to rein in his emotions following a largely frustrating season for the British driver and his team.
He patted the No. 1 sticker on his car emphatically after emerging from the cockpit and then had to wrestle the celebratory champagne back from team principal Martin Whitmarsh as McLaren returned to the podium for the first time this season.
Raikkonen was the lone Ferrari car on the Hungaroring circuit after Massa was struck in the helmet by a loose piece from another car, causing him to crash into the tire barrier at high speed. Ferrari’s garage displayed a “Forza Felipe Siamo Con Te” (Be Strong Felipe, We Are With You).
Nico Rosberg of Williams was fourth for the second straight race and McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen was fifth.
It was Button’s worst result this season after winning six of the first seven races, and moved him to 69 points in the overall standings. Webber has 51.5 points, while Vettel’s retirement after 29 laps left him on 47 points.
Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello finished 10th to stay on 44 points as Red Bull also trimmed Brawn GP’s lead in the constructors’ series to 15.5 points with seven races left.
Hamilton was closing in on Alonso before the pole sitter was forced to retire when his front right tire came off the car and bounced wildly down the track. F1’s safety measures are likely to be questioned further with that scene coming a day after Massa’s accident and one week since F2 driver John Surtees, son of former F1 champion John Surtees, died in a crash caused by a loose tire.
Hamilton muscled past Raikkonen at the first turn but lost his position to Webber, who cut past from the inside to sit behind Alonso.
Hamilton made the same move on Webber soon after to go second and pulled away from Raikkonen following Alonso’s exit.
Hamilton’s girlfriend – singer Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls – was jumping up and down in the McLaren garage toward the end of the race. Hamilton has 19 points following his 23rd podium finish.
Vettel’s retirement came after a poor start, when he dropped from second to seventh.
Toyota pair Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli completed the points places after finishing sixth and eighth, respectively.
Jaime Alguersuari, who became the youngest driver to start an F1 race at 19 years, 126 days, finished ahead of last-place Toro Rosso teammate Sebastien Buemi in 15th on his debut.