Jenson Button claims Hungarian Grand Prix
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Play VideoA wet Sunday greets the drivers taking part in Sunday's F1 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. The starting grid for the 11th race of the year topped, as it has been all year by Red Bull.
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel, making it 11 for 11 on the year for Red Bull and the German held his place at the front of the field ahead of McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Mid-season changes to the McLaren's ride have seen both drivers enjoy increased speed in recent races. Hamilton used that extra pace to get past Vettel's Red Bull on the 14th of a scheduled 70 laps, and Button also found a way around the defending champion as the McLaren's moved to the front.
Paul di Resta started 11th on the grid, but the Force India driver was soon up into seventh place. No such joy for Nick Heidfeld, who was forced to abandon his Renault as it caught fire on the way out of the pits. A problem with a wheel nut meant the car sat at high revs for a sustained period, which led to the dramatic blaze.
victory: the 11th win of his F1 career. Vettel, won in Canada in the rain
earlier this year and does it again in Hungary.
Heidfeld's fellow German Michael Schumacher was! also fo rced to abandon the race. The seven-times former F1 champion had to pull out after his Mercedes suffered a gearbox failure. Vettel had slipped down to fourth place by this stage, but he reclaimed third after passing Fernando Alonso and would soon be back in a battle for the lead.
Up front, Lewis Hamilton was pushing to increase his lead, but spun on the wet surface. The 2008 world champion then wheel-spun his McLaren to continue racing, but that manoeuvre forced di Resta wide as Button slipped by to take the lead.
Hamilton came back to the pits to change tyres, expecting more rain, but it never came and he was forced to switch back to slick tyres. Hamilton rejoined the race in sixth and would finish in fourth.
Button stayed clear of Vettel and marked his 200th Grand Prix start with a victory: the 11th win of his F1 career. Vettel, won in Canada in the rain earlier this year and does it again in Hungary.
Jenson Button, Hungarian G.P. Winner, said, "For some reason I like these conditions. Don't ask me why! But it worked out again, so a great call by the team to put me on the prime tyre when they did, I think a great call by all of us when we decided not to go to the inters. So, all-round amazing weekend, and I want to say a big thank you to the whole team.. the mechanics, the engineers, everyone within the team has worked so hard to produce the car that we have now and I think we're going into the break on a great high."
Jenson Button of Britain gestures after winning the Hungarian Formula one Grand Prix at the hungaroring circuit outside Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, July 31, 2011.
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