Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton's winning streak continues in Hungary

Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly stressed his spiritual streak, he feels with higher powers in the league. Ex-World Champion Jacques Villeneuve is already engraved: "He believes that he is Jesus". Hamilton did well in the last three races, but it almost seemed like the world champion was helping him out.

At Silverstone, the safety car triggered by the crash of Marcus Ericsson and Hamilton was in second place instead of fifth place. At Hockenheim, Sebastian Vettel would probably have won without the rain 15 laps from the finish. And now, on the Hungaroring, the weather god had played a crucial role in qualifying: 30 minutes of thunderstorms on a blistering weekend were enough to give Sebastian Vettel one more. to bring a better position. Because it is necessary on the crooked Hungaroring, where overtaking is almost impossible.

In the dry, Mercedes would have been safe behind Ferrari, maybe even fight with Red Bull. But with the rain tires, the Ferrari does not work as well as the Mercedes. So Hamilton took the unexpected opportunity to put his car at the start of the race on the first starting position. In the race he then showed his undisputed clbad.

Mercedes may rain

Why, however, is the Mercedes on this tire so much better than the rest? The silver boom loses less support with the larger diameter, the special walking behavior of the rain gums and the higher ground clearance. The cars of Ferrari and specifically Red Bull are hired further back. Downforce is also translated tire temperature. This corresponded with the Mercedes drivers, while the competition had problems.

Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, often rented as king of the rains, lacked 30 degrees of tire temperature in qualifying, driving with only 50 instead of the optimum 80 degrees. The result was grid position seven. Vettel still managed to finish fourth. Too little to endanger Hamilton on the Hungaroring.

Ferrari therefore opted for an alternative strategy to avoid overtaking: they sent Vettel into the race with the most durable soft tire, instead of driving like the Mercedes with the Ultrasoft. A tactic that could have worked – would not have gone astray at the end of the 40th lap when Vettel got the fastest Ultrasofts. Two seconds longer than normal because a wheel stuck at the back meant that it was behind Bottas. He missed half a second.

The Finn played in the episode the perfect badistant for Hamilton. He kept Vettel away from his teammate. Kimi Raikkonen, who had free spins, at the same time on the same tire per lap faster.

At this point, Vettel's delay to Hamilton was a little over eight seconds. "Start and pressure Lewis, which would have been safe," Vettel said, "if I had gone, is another very different matter." At five laps from the finish, Vettel then doubled Bottas. There was even a slight touch while Bottas tried again a rather desperate counterattack, in which he behaved himself the Finn but only the wing.

No preliminary decision at the World Cup

So Hamilton did not put himself in danger and won his fifth win of the season with confidence. The fact that despite 24 points ahead on the summer holidays, he still does not want to talk about a turnaround or a pre – decision in the World Cup could say that & # 39; 39, he knows his luck in past races. And this Ferrari with the new engine performance on the next two roads, the power races of Spa and Monza, should actually be a favorite.

Sebastian Vettel had probably anticipated a Hungarian victory, but he will not resign. If he believed in statistics, then he could make an effort: Since Michael Schumacher in 2004 no winner of Hungaroring in the same year has also become world champion. Which probably gives him more courage: his own ability to catch up. In 2012, he was 42 points behind Fernando Alonso after the Hungarian GP – and still got the title at the end.