The Hungarian Grand Prix turned out to be an exciting yet chaotic event, with Esteban Ocon scoring his first F1 win amidst several unfortunate incidents. The race started off rocky, with five vehicles departing the track in the initial round due to mistakes from Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll.
Bottas, driving for Mercedes, attempted to overtake Lando Norris from McLaren but lost control under challenging conditions, colliding with Norris' rear end and eventually hitting Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing. Verstappen, who was in third place, slid backward to tenth as a result.
Further down the field, Lance Stroll from Aston Martin collided with Charles Leclerc from Ferrari. The mayhem continued as Leclerc subsequently rammed into Daniel Ricciardo from McLaren. The cluster of crashes led to the race being temporarily halted with the red flag. Regrettably, all drivers involved in the accidents, including Bottas, Perez, Stroll, and Leclerc, were forced to retire. McLaren withdrew Norris during a pit stop, attributing his withdrawal to a mechanical issue.
When the race resumed, the remaining competitors, including Hamilton, started anew. With 15 vehicles still in the race, the competition for the checkered flag continued. Hamilton launched from the pole position and went on to conquer the Hungarian Grand Prix for the eighth time. His remarkable comeback reached from the back of the grid all the way to the podium.
The physical exertion that Hamilton experienced in the course of the race likely depleted his energy levels further, leading him to seek medical attention post-race due to exhaustion and mild dizziness.
Defending his position against Sebastian Vettel, Ocon showcased supreme skill, ultimately claiming his first F1 victory. Ocon expressed his gratitude to his teammate Fernando Alonso, who effectively maintained the pressure on Hamilton, enabling Ocon to take on the position battle. In Ocon's eyes, this triumph was also a reflection of Alonso's fantastic performance, teamwork, and overall dedication.
The consequences of Bottas' incident resulted in a five-spot penalty and two penalty points being imposed on him in advance of the forthcoming Belgian Grand Prix. Bottas acknowledged his error and stated that it led to pandemonium on the track.
"I had a poor start, my tires spun, lost grid position, and braked in the first corner, which meant I had Lando's gearbox blocked. I apologized to him after the race, but it won't make up for the damage caused," said Bottas.
