In an incident-filled Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, Daniel Ricciardo delivered a remarkable performance to secure an unexpected victory for Red Bull, while Lewis Hamilton disregarded Mercedes team orders, preventing title leader Nico Rosberg from passing him.
On lap 68 of 70 at the Hungaroring, Australia’s Ricciardo captured the lead by overtaking two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, marking his second win of the season.
After starting from the pit lane and spinning off track during the first lap, Hamilton achieved the final podium position, with Rosberg finishing in fourth.
The fierce rivalry between the two drivers peaked when Hamilton declined to let Rosberg pass at a critical moment in the race.
Displaying his frustration over the radio, the German, who had made one additional pit stop compared to his teammate, asked, “Why is he not letting me through?”
Hamilton retorted that Rosberg needed to be closer. “I’ll let him through if he gets closer,” he stated. “I’m not slowing down for Nico…”
Hamilton appeared poised for an incredible victory as he closed in on Alonso, who was struggling with tire degradation.
However, Ricciardo, already victorious earlier this season in Canada, proved to be the quickest among the front-runners and overtook Hamilton before pulling ahead of Alonso.
Even though Rosberg, still leading the championship by 11 points over Hamilton, was gaining approximately three seconds per lap following his tire change, his efforts came too late to make an impact.
After nearly having his race ended on the opening lap, Hamilton benefitted from two safety car deployments caused by drivers crashing on a wet but drying track.
The first safety car was a setback for Rosberg, who seemed unbeatable in first after starting from pole.
During that period, Ricciardo and others managed to switch to slick tires, while Rosberg had to wait another lap, resulting in a loss of position.
“It feels as good as the first win, it really does,” Ricciardo expressed during the trophy presentation.
“Initially, the safety car worked in our favor, but the second one didn’t really assist us; however, we made it through in the end, and overtaking at the end was quite enjoyable.”
Felipe Massa for Williams and Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari finished fifth and sixth, exhibiting their experience, while four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel secured seventh, once again overshadowed by his younger Red Bull teammate Ricciardo.
Vettel was the last competitor to start from the pit lane and reach the podium in the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; Hamilton felt elated to match this feat after an engine fire ruined his qualifying performance on Saturday.
“It’s been a crazy weekend,” Hamilton remarked.
“The car has been fantastic, but a lot of points were lost this weekend. The brakes were extremely cold at the start, so I fell behind, but I managed to push on from there.”
However, the consequences of his refusal to comply with team orders are expected to continue, as Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff informed reporters that an internal investigation would take place, but there would be “no knee-jerk reaction.”