Mon | Apr 6, 2026

Hamilton equals Schumacher’s record in Hungary

Published:Monday | July 20, 2020 | 12:20 AM
From right: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, Racing Point driver Lance Stroll of Canada, and Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany at the start of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix race at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary,
AP
From right: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, Racing Point driver Lance Stroll of Canada, and Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany at the start of the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix race at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, yesterday.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP):

Formula One (F1) champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix (GP) for the eighth time to equal Michael Schumacher’s single-venue record and take the championship lead yesterday.

Hamilton’s latest victory from pole position was as comfortable as the nearly nine-second margin over second-place Max Verstappen suggested. The British driver’s 86th GP win moved him just five behind the German great Schumacher’s F1 record of 91.

“We’ve just been on point through the whole weekend,” Hamilton said, praising his team. “While I was on my own for the race, it was a different kind of challenge.”

Schumacher won the French GP eight times when it was held at Magny-Cours. Hamilton first won here in 2007 and his first success with Mercedes also came at the Hungaroring track in 2013, the year after replacing Schumacher on the Silver Arrows team.

Verstappen drove superbly to hold off Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, who finished less than one second behind him in third to relinquish the championship lead after three races.

Hamilton took a record-extending 90th career pole on Saturday to match Schumacher’s record for seven poles on the 4.4-kilometre (2.7-mile) track nestled among rolling hills outside of Budapest.

STARTING

He made a clean start, but Bottas made a poor one from second and was overtaken by Lance Stroll starting third; the Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc and Verstappen from seventh.

Red Bull only just managed to get Verstappen’s car on the grid. About 20 minutes earlier, he damaged the front wing when going over a kerb and sliding into the barriers on a warmup lap.

Team principal Christian Horner looked on anxiously as mechanics replaced it and repaired the suspension, working frantically fast to get his car ready with the clock ticking down.

“The mechanics did an amazing job. I don’t know how they did it, but they were incredible ... Just on time,” a jubilant Verstappen said. “To be able to split the two Mercedes cars was great for us. I thought I was not going to race, so to be second was like a victory today.”

In a demoralising sign of the times for Ferrari, both cars were lapped by Hamilton.

Stroll placed fourth ahead of Red Bull’s Alexander Albon, with Vettel sixth and Leclerc out of the points in 11th.

Hamilton and most drivers again took the knee against racism before the start.

Hungarian GP results

1. Lewis Hamilton

2. Max Verstappen

3. Valterri Bottas

4. Lance Stroll

5. Alex Albon

6. Sebastian Vettel

7. Sergio Perez

8. Daniel Ricciardo

9. Carlos Sainz Jr.

10. Kevin Magnussen

Championship standings

1. Lewis Hamilton 63

2. Valterri Bottas 58

3. Max Verstappen 33

4. Lando Norris 26

5. Alex Albon 22

6. Sergio Perez 22

7. Charles Leclerc 18

8. Lance Stroll 18

9. Carlos Sainz Jr 15

10. Sebastian Vettel 9

Constructor standings

1. Mercedes 121

2. Red Bull Racing 55

3. McLaren 41

4. Racing Point 40

5. Ferrari 27

6. Renault 12

7. AlphaTauri 7

8. Alfa Romeo 2

9. Haas 1

10. Williams 0