Hamilton wins Hungarian GP, Verstappen second despite crashing before race

Lewis Hamilton claimed a comfortable win at the Hungarian Grand Prix on another Sunday which saw all the drama unfold behind the race leader. 

Hamilton's victory was as routine as they come, with the six-time world champion leading all but one lap when he pitted early to switch from intermediate to dry tyres. A pre-race shower meant the race started on a drying circuit, which would produce a chaotic opening. 

The only other driver to lead a lap was Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who drove a remarkable race to second position despite crashing his Red Bull on the way to the starting grid before the grand prix had even started. 

On a wet track, Verstappen slid off the road at Turn 12 and hit the barrier, prompting a frantic repair job for his Red Bull mechanics. With a repaired car, Verstappen made a lightning start from seventh position and was third at the opening corner. He jumped Racing Point's Lance Stroll by staying out an extra lap on the intermediates. 

Verstappen was able to hold off Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas on the final lap to keep second position. Bottas had a slow getaway off the line, appearing to react slightly too early to the lights going out -- although he avoided a penalty by not triggering his grid sensor. Bottas caught Verstappen with two laps to go but was unable to get close enough to make an overtake. 

On the cool-down lap, Verstappen paid tribute to his mechanics, saying over the radio: "I want to say a big thank-you to the mechanics. You guys are legends, thank you so much."

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After the race Verstappen said: "I thought I was not going to race, so P2 feels like a victory today". 

Lance Stroll was fourth for Racing Point on an afternoon which had looked like an opportunity for a podium finish. Red Bull's Alex Albon finished fifth and was the last driver to finish on the same lap as Hamilton. 

Sebastian Vettel was sixth for Ferrari ahead of Racing Point's Sergio Perez. Daniel Ricciardo benefited from a superb long stint on his first dry tyre for eighth, while Haas driver Kevin Magnussen was ninth.

Magnussen had been third in the opening laps after a remarkable strategy call from Haas, calling Magnussen and teammate Romain Grosjean in for dry tyres at the end of the formation lap. That meant the American team was running third and fourth as the rest of the field made the same switch on lap three and four. 

McLaren's Carlos Sainz rounded out the points-paying position, passing future Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc with a nice move in the closing moments for 10th.