Hamilton praises team for risky strategy after famous Hungary win
F1 News
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
After a famous win in Hungary which puts him level with Michael Schumacher with victories at the Hungaroring, Lewis Hamilton quickly acknowledged that Mercedes' strategy calls were the key factor in his win, as he overtook Max Verstappen for the lead with four laps to go.
Verstappen had kept Hamilton behind him for the entire race but failed to do so in the final laps, with Mercedes taking a risk by pitting Hamilton for a second time. It dropped him back 20 seconds with as many laps to go, but the Brit closed the gap with the Red Bull quickly on his much fresher rubber.
He denied Verstappen, a legitimate championship rival now, a third victory in four races as the 34-year-old won his eighth in 2019.
"I feel tired, which is how it should be but I feel really grateful for the day and the team who continue to push me to the limits and take a chance on me," said the five-time champion when interviewed on the grid by Paul di Resta.
"We've been together for seven years, but every win feels brand new."
Hamilton was vocal on team radio about issues he was having with overheating brakes, particularly in the mid-portion of the race, as he explains it wasn't just a problem today.
"We had brake problems all weekend, and I was a bit worried, but we made the changes and I was actually doing a lot of lift and coast for half a lap, but I was just trying to save as much as I could.
"It was difficult to get by, the defence was great, and I didn't know if I could catch that 19-second gap. I just kept my head down, and each lap was like a qualifying lap. I know if Niki [Lauda] was here today, he would take his hat off."