Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen on Sunday finished first at the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix despite starting tenth at Formula 1 grid.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton went from seventh to second, also making a spectacular recovery race. His teammate George Russell started from pole position, dropped two positions, and ultimately finished in third place due to Ferraris’ superior speed.
Verstappen opens 80 points in the table with the best result at the Hungaroring Circuit, as Charles Leclerc finished sixth after stopping three times in the pit in a series of strategic mistakes by Ferrari, which he still lost.
The reigning champion even though won his eighth win of the season in 2022 by relying on Red Bull’s continued ability to predict Ferrari’s maneuvers in his calls to the pits.
In a media interaction at the end of Friday’s practice sessions Verstappen said: “A bit tricky as expected around here. Just trying to find a balance from high to low speed. Sometimes it worked a bit better, sometimes a bit more tricky but a bit of work to do.”
“I think [Ferrari] are a bit ahead of us. I think it will be hard for us to beat that. But I think overnight we will try to close the gap as much as we can and see what the weather will give us as well tomorrow.
“I think in the dry we can’t compete, so maybe in the rain we can, who knows?” Verstappen added.
Verstappen passes Jackie Stewart, a three-time champion, and moves up to eighth place in terms of all-time winners with his 28 career wins.
While George Russell has passed Carlos Sainz in the drivers’ championship and is in fourth place with 158 points – two more than the Spaniard.
Red Bull, on the other hand, leads the constructors’ world championship with 100 points ahead of Ferrari: 431 against 334. Mercedes comes close behind, with 304 points.
