This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
Hamilton Equals Schumacher's Record at Hungarian Grand Prix ¶
On Sunday, July 19, 2020, Lewis Hamilton equalled one of Michael Schumacher's many records when he delivered a classic drive to become the first driver to complete a hat-trick of Hungarian Grand Prix victories.
Hamilton, the defending six-time champion, won at the Hungaroring in 2018 and 2019, and his eighth Hungarian triumph drew level with Schumacher's eight wins at the French Grand Prix, the most by any driver at a single race venue.
Driving with exemplary concentration and aplomb, Hamilton controlled a tactical race from lights to flag, making light of changing conditions to deliver his 86th win, five short of Schumacher's record total of 91.
Hamilton's second win this season, following victory at the Styrian Grand Prix a week earlier, lifted him to the top of the drivers' championship by a single point ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who won the opening Austrian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen was a remarkable second for Red Bull after his crew repaired severe damage to his car's suspension on the grid caused when the Dutchman had crashed before the start. He held off a late attack by Bottas to stay second by fractions of a second.
Hamilton was coolness personified, starting from the 90th pole of his career, and pulling clear to lead by three seconds on the opening lap, ahead of Stroll and Verstappen, all of them running on intermediate tyres in the tricky conditions.
Hamilton pitted for slicks at the end of the second lap, returning in fourth and was back on top by lap five with the two Haas cars of Magnussen and Grosjean in pursuit after a well-judged switch from wets to slicks.
Hamilton eventually pitted on lap 66, re-joining with a lead of 4.7 seconds in pursuit of fastest lap. He clocked it with 1:16.627 for a precious extra point and leadership of the championship.
Verstappen came in for hards and then Hamilton for fresh mediums on lap 38, staying ahead by 19.418 with Bottas closing on the Dutchman by lap 40.
Bottas then pitted and clocked a fastest lap, heaping pressure on Red Bull's strategists: to stick or twist?
With 12 laps to go, Hamilton lapped Vettel's Ferrari, leaving only three men behind him on the same lap. 'These tyres don't feel good,' he had complained only seconds earlier.
Hamilton requested softs in a bid for fastest lap, but his crew ran into the pit-lane and back again before eventually offering him the softs he wanted.
