Formula 1

Hungarian GP red-flagged, Verstappen involved in crash

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
2 min read

Up Next

The Hungarian Grand Prix has been red-flagged after a multi-car opening lap collision dropped Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen to the back of the field and damaged his Red Bull.

Rain falling in the moments before the formation lap left the entire field starting on immediate tyres – bar Antonio Giovinazzi’s Alfa Romeo, who pitted for slicks at the end of the formation lap.

Valtteri Bottas started in second place alongside his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but he was slow away off the line and dropped several positions.

He then lost control of his car in the Turn 1 braking zone and ran into the back of Lando Norris, sending the McLaren driver into Verstappen while Bottas went into Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez.

“Sorry guys that’s it,” Bottas told his team on the radio.

The contact eliminated Bottas, Norris and Perez from the race but Verstappen was able to continue, although with significant bargeboard damage. Verstappen fumed: “What the f*** happened there?”

Further around the opening corner, Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin ploughed into Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari who in turn collided with the second McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo. Both Leclerc and Stroll were eliminated by the contact.

The safety car was initially deployed but the race was then red-flagged on the third lap.

Hamilton avoided all the chaos and he leads the race ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who has jumped from 10th on the grid to third.

Carlos Sainz is fourth ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Nicholas Latifi (Williams) and the second Alpine of Fernando Alonso, who had minor contact with Stroll’s already-damaged Aston Martin.

George Russell makes it two Williams drivers in the top 10 in eighth place, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Mick Schumacher’s Haas.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • More Networks