Hamilton heads on holiday with big lead after Vettel strategy fails

Ferrari's strategy gamble fell flat as Lewis Hamilton cruised to victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix to open up a 24-point lead over Sebastian Vettel heading into Formula 1's summer shutdown. A slow pit-stop cost Vettel dearly, as well as denying fans a chance to see F1's title rivals in direct on-track competition.

Vettel came home in second, but only after a late collision with Valtteri Bottas, who had held up the Ferrari brilliantly for much of the second part of the race, but also hit Daniel Ricciardo in a battle for fourth afterwards as his stricken car struggled for grip.

As in Germany a week ago, Ferrari have had the quickest car on-track all weekend, but wet weather has ultimately cost them and Vettel especially.

GET IN THERE!!!! @LewisHamilton WINS the #HungarianGP in style!!!! YES!!!!@ValtteriBottas battles his way to P5 - how exciting was that!!!! #F1 pic.twitter.com/hwXZdxX3jy — Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) July 29, 2018

Hamilton now holds the biggest lead he has ever had over F1's mid-season break, with errors in France, Austria and Germany now coming back to haunt Vettel and Ferrari.

Vettel attempted an off-set strategy from fourth on the grid, starting on the soft tyres, with those ahead on ultrasofts, but the crucial pit-stop he made was a slow one, leaving him stuck behind Bottas in third, until an attempted overtake with five laps to go left the Finn minus half a front wing.

Questions may be asked of Ferrari allowing Vettel to hit traffic when he was outside of Bottas' pit-stop window.

Once Hamilton made a supreme getaway from pole, it was always going to be difficult for the red cars, with the reigning champion producing a composed display to follow last week's slice through the field.

Kimi Raikkonen, who raced in sweltering heat with no drinks bottle, followed Vettel home in third, with Mercedes ordering Bottas to give Ricciardo fourth on the last lap.

Your #F1DriverOfTheDay...

From P12 up to P4, top effort @danielricciardo ????????????#HungarianGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/3bCxVe358T — Formula 1 (@F1) July 29, 2018

After starting 12th, Ricciardo's haul offered Red Bull barely a shred of positivity after Max Verstappen retired in the opening stages with engine failure.

Both Verstappen's team radio and Christian Horner's mid-race interview were laced with frustrations towards Renault - engine failure has ended a Red Bull car's race in three of the last four grands prix and they will surely be desperate for the divorce which will come at the end of the year.

Pierre Gasly produced a stellar drive to maintain the sixth place he started with for Toro Rosso - the team's first scoring finish since Honda upgraded their power unit in Canada, while Kevin Magnussen, birthday boy Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean completed the top 10.