Hungaroring (Hungary) (AFP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) left in last position in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, after an incredible start, cascading retirements, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) far behind and an unlikely provisional leader: Esteban Ocon (Alpine).
After the retirements in the first lap in the rain of Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), the race was interrupted.
At the new start, everyone returned to the pits ... except Hamilton.
Alone on the starting grid, he made a lap in front before stopping to put on dry tires, with the return of the sun, like all his competitors before him.
An astonishing strategy error for the seven-time world champion and his team, launched like Verstappen in a parallel comeback.
At the third of the race, Hamilton stopped again to put on hard tires.
A strategy this time paying off, because it was immediately imitated by Verstappen, a lap later, but the Dutchman came out of the pits behind Hamilton.
After 30 laps out of 70, on the narrow Hungaroring circuit, where overtaking is very difficult, the Briton was in 7th place, the Dutchman in 12th.
Far ahead, Frenchman Esteban Ocon led ahead of German Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), followed by his compatriot Fernando Alonso, provisionally 4th in the other Alpine.
Only 14 drivers remained on the track after already six retirements, including the pile-up of the very first corner.
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Starting 2nd, Bottas got off to a bad start and then ran into the back of Lando Norris (McLaren), who himself crashed into Verstappen then in 2nd position.
Bottas then crashed into Pérez.
The two pilots had to throw in the towel.
Just like the Monegasque Leclerc, hit him by Lance Stroll's Aston Martin in this chaotic first corner.
Verstappen and Hamilton had only eight points in the championship before the start of this 11th round.
The two title contenders remained in an accident in the first round of the GP of Great Britain a fortnight ago.
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