FLATS OK AS LEWIS ROARS ON

LEWIS HAMILTON extended his lead at the top of the title race despite only finishing fifth in an incident-packed Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s hopes of a hat-trick of back to back victories disappeared after first being blitzed by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and then suffering a punctured tyre.

But just as he was facing losing top spot in the world drivers’ championship to Massa, the Brazilian’s engine blew up three laps from home.

That handed Hamilton’s McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen his first F1 win, and with Timo Glock coming second, Hamilton was able to increase his advantage at the top to five points.

Having claimed pole position, Hamilton had been expected to cruise to victory but if the experience of missing out on the world championship last year taught Hamilton to take nothing for granted, that point was hammered home again.

Hamilton lost the lead to Massa on the first corner, and a puncture on the 41st lap ended his hopes of winning.

But Massa was denied a brilliant win by that engine blow-out leaving Hamilton with mixed feelings.

He said: “It was not as bad as it could have been and not as good either.

“In terms of what happened to Felipe, the team just told me about the possibility of oil on the start-finish straight. I didn’t think much of it other than it was an extra place for me, which is good.

“I think I drove well. I didn’t make any mistakes, I just had a puncture. I brought the car home as safe as possible and scored as many points as I could, so there’s not much more you can ask for.

“It’s just unfortunate I was the one to get a puncture and it was a case of ‘oh no, not again’.

“It can be very, very costly, but today Kimi Raikkonen didn’t win and it actually helps Heikki has won and Timo Glock was second. They are taking points off everyone else, so I’m quite happy.

“My lead is bigger now and you would never have thought that with all that has gone on this year.

“But, above all, it’s been a great day for Heikki. I know what it feels like to get your first Grand Prix win.”

Hamilton has a break before the next race in Valencia on August 24, but has already warned Massa he will not surrender another pole position.

“I had one of my best ever starts, but Felipe had an even better one,” said Hamilton. “I covered my ground on the inside. He locked up and then turned, so I thought we were going to touch, so I slowed down even more.

“But he still pulled it off, I lost a place and it won’t happen again.”

Ferrari’s prediction that hot weather would favour them was spot on before Massa’s race was cruelly cut short. As the track temperature soared Massa showed brilliant pace.

Massa said: “We did a perfect job and then it’s just taken away. It was a very strange feeling in the car, the engine breaking down.”

For once Kovalainen benefited from another’s misfortune, and said: “Of course I feel a little sorry for Felipe, and even for Lewis, because they both drove a great race.

“But I know how they feel because I’ve had similar moments myself this year, quite a few times.”

Jenson Button was 12th  – one place behind David Coulthard.

» MORE 'MOTOR SPORTS' HERE...

Share @:Digg StumbleUpon del.icio.us Newsvine reddit

Print This Page

Email To A Friend

Contact Us

Get RSS