Lewis Hamilton comfortably triumphed to win his eighth Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, matching a unique Michael Schumacher record.

Hamilton dominated from start to finish to equal Schumacher’s achievement of winning the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours eight times.

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The Briton finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Valtteri Bottas third. Racing Point’s Lance Stroll took the flag in fourth ahead of Red Bull driver Alexander Albon and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton, who has now won two of the opening three grands prix, moves five points clear of Bottas at the top of the table in his quest for a record-equalling seventh title.

Following a deluge of rain an hour before the start, the race began in damp conditions. Indeed, Verstappen could count himself fortunate to even make the start after he thudded into the barriers on his way to the grid.

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The Dutchman lost control of his Red Bull at the right-handed Turn 12, colliding with the wall and losing his front wing. But his mechanics pulled off a miracle job to ensure his wounded machine was repaired in time for lights out.

Verstappen started in seventh, but he was soon up to third following an emphatic start in the greasy conditions.

Hamilton was supreme off his marks, too, leading the drag race down to the opening bend from Stroll and Verstappen. Remarkably, the Englishman finished the first lap three seconds clear of Stroll.

Starting alongside Hamilton, Bottas had been expected to take the challenge to his Mercedes team-mate, but his afternoon was dealt a major blow following a poor start which saw him fall from the front row to seventh by the end of the first tour.

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Bottas attempted to chase down Verstappen in the closing stages, taking on a new set of tyres with 20 laps remaining, but the Finn’s challenge fell just short.

There were no such concerns for Hamilton who led by as many as nine seconds when he stopped on the third lap for slick rubber.

Verstappen stayed out for one lap more than his Mercedes rival, but his stop for dry tyres allowed Hamilton to assume the lead.

From there, the Englishman never looked back. He was even able to stop for a fresh set of tyres with four laps to run to take a bonus point for the fastest lap, crossing the line 8.7 seconds clear of Verstappen and lapping the entire field up to Albon in fifth.

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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton cruised to a comfortable victory at the Styrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The world champion laid the groundwork for his first victory of the year with one of his greatest pole laps in yesterday’s rain-hit qualifying session.

And in the dry at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring, Hamilton delivered a faultless performance to see off team-mate Valtteri Bottas, with Max Verstappen third.

“It is great to be back up here and driving with this kind of performance,” Hamilton said after the race. “It was about keeping it together and bringing it home.

“I am so grateful to be back in first place. It feels like a long time since I won at the final race of last season. This is a great step forward.”

Ferrari’s miserable start to the season continued after Charles Leclerc knocked teammate Sebastian Vettel out of the race on the opening lap. Both drivers were forced to retire.

Alexander Albon finished fourth ahead of Lando Norris, who moved up three positions in an impressive final two laps. Bottas is four points clear in the championship following his win here last Sunday.

Hamilton might have finished only fourth in the season opener following, by his own admission, a rather tame display.

But after he took a knee alongside 11 of his drivers before the race – Kevin Magnussen and Racing Point driver Sergio Perez joining last week’s cast of six in not kneeling – Hamilton blasted out of his marks from pole and never looked back, winning by 13.7 seconds.

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The drama instead took place behind the six-time world champion, with Verstappen just about managing to hold of McLaren’s fast-starting Carlos Sainz in second, before the two red cars collided.

Leclerc, starting in 14th, attempted to overtake Vettel at the third corner on the opening lap, but he completely misjudged the move.

Leclerc was launched airborne and out of control after hitting the kerb. He smashed into the unwitting Vettel, ripping off the German’s rear wing.

Vettel was forced to park his wounded car in the pits, and while Leclerc attempted to carry on, he was unable to do so following terminal damage sustained in the accident.

The crash marks the second time in four races that the two Ferrari drivers have collided. Vettel was largely blamed for that incident in Brazil last year, but here it was Leclerc who was at fault.

“I apologised to Seb,” said Leclerc, 22. “Excuses are not enough in times like this and I’m just disappointed in myself.

“I have done a very bad job today. I have let the team down. I can only be sorry, even though I know it’s not enough. I put all the efforts of the team in the bin.”

There were no such worries for Hamilton as he cruised to his 85th win, leaving him only six short of Michael Schumacher’s all-time win record. Hamilton is this year bidding to match the German’s championship record of seven, too.

While last week’s opener was a thrill-a-minute spectacle, there were few flashpoints in Sunday’s race.

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton dominated the wet conditions and stormed to pole position for Sunday’s first ever Styrian Grand Prix.

It was great weather for ducks in Austria, and therefore perfect conditions for the British great.

Even before Saturday’s rain-hit delayed qualifying, the six-time world champion had long staked his claim as one of the sport’s finest to ever race in the wet – and here he delivered an absolute masterclass.

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Hamilton finished a staggering 1.2 seconds faster than Red Bull rival Max Verstappen, with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz third.

Valtteri Bottas, in the same machine as Hamilton and on the same track as his season-opening Austria GP victory last week, was 1.5 sec behind his teammate in fourth.

Hamilton, who earlier urged his race engineer Pete Bonnington to ‘leave him to it’ over the team radio, topped all three sessions before claiming the 89th pole of his career – and first in his pursuit this year to match Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles.

As his rivals faltered, Hamilton banged in fastest lap after fastest lap on his way to completing one of the most impressive qualifying performances in recent memory.

“I love these days,” said Hamilton. “The weather is incredibly difficult for all of us. A lot of the time you cannot see where you are going.

“I had a big moment where I aquaplaned and had my heart in my mouth but I was able to improve. I didn’t make any mistakes so that is always a positive.”

Verstappen, who spun at the final corner on his last lap, said: “Second is still good. It was just tricky out there. The last lap was better but it wouldn’t have been enough to beat Lewis.”

Lando Norris became the youngest British driver to stand on top of a Formula One podium with a fine drive to third in Austria last weekend.

And the McLaren star carried over his impressive form to finish in sixth, one spot behind Renault’s Esteban Ocon.

However, he will be bumped back three places following a grid penalty for a yellow-flag infringement in practice yesterday.

George Russell was among the standout performers in the tricky conditions. The 22-year-old, now in his second season, made it out of Q1 for the first time in his career, and then put his Williams in 12th.

“Yes, boys, f***, yes,” he shouted over the team radio.

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These are difficult times for Williams – indeed, this marked the first time one of their cars had progressed to the second phase of qualifying since the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2018 – and Russell is proving a shining light.

The Englishman is under contract with Williams until the end of next year, but his performance on Saturday might make Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff sit up and take notice.

Russell is on the books as a junior driver with the world champions and he will be in the frame for a seat with the Silver Arrows if they change their driver line-up for 2021. Russell finished 1.4 sec and six positions ahead of his rookie team-mate Nicholas Latifi.

Charles Leclerc took advantage of a late safety car to take an unlikely second in the season-opening race, but the man from Monaco failed to progress to the top-10 shootout, finishing 11th.

The struggling Ferrari team are braced for a difficult year and despite sneaking through to Q3, Sebastian Vettel will line up just one place ahead of his team-mate in 10th.

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More Formula One drivers are expected to stand rather than take a knee at this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix.

Ahead of the season-opening Austrian GP last Sunday, all 20 drivers lined up on the grid in a powerful message against racism, with 14 of them taking a knee.

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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, were among six who elected to stand in the moments before Sunday’s race at the Red Bull Ring, although both posted messages saying they were committed to the fight for equality.

Nineteen of the drivers donned t-shirts emblazoned with the message ‘End Racism’, while Lewis Hamilton wore a ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirt.

Now it is believed that some of the drivers who knelt last weekend could now decide to stand on Sunday, when they return to the same track for the new Styrian GP.

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Formula One bosses will not stop Lewis Hamilton from continuing to take a knee at races this season.

Hamilton knelt before the first round in Austria, and subsequently revealed he would carry on performing the gesture if he was provided with a platform to do so by the sport.

It is understood that both Formula One’s American owners Liberty Media and governing body the FIA will inform Britain’s six-time world champion that he is free to kneel at the next instalment of the championship in Austria this weekend and for the remainder of the year.

The final decision is set to rest with the drivers, who are likely to discuss the divisive subject again in Spielberg on Friday.

Darren Bent has praised Hamilton for battling his critics and pioneering equality and the Black Lives Matter message in Formula One.

“Lewis Hamilton has been doing so much for that sport to try and open people’s eyes.

“It was a bit strange to not to see everyone kneeling, it shows there’s still a little bit of a divide there.

View this post on Instagram

Today was an important moment for me and all the people out there who are working for and hoping for change. For a more equal and just society. I may get criticism in the media and elsewhere, but this fight is about equality, not politics or promotion. To me it was an emotional and poignant chapter in the progress of making F1 a more diverse and inclusive sport. I want a better future for our generation and the ones after us. There is so much that needs to be done. No one is perfect but if we all chip in and do our part, we can see change. I truly believe that. Thank you to my team for their incredible support and hard work this weekend and thank you to all who supported. Let’s keep pushing, guys. See you next week. Love. #EndRacism #BlackLivesMatter

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Jul 5, 2020 at 12:59pm PDT

“I know some of them will say kneeling means something different in their countries… but it’s a step in the right direction for that sport.

“Hamilton has come under fire, by the way, the criticism and stick he’s taken especially during this whole Black Lives Matter movement…

“If you look at some of the comments he gets on a daily basis on Twitter, for someone who is an absolute pioneer in his sport, winning six world titles, and for him to get the kind of stick he does, it’s totally uncalled for, it’s totally unjustified.

“And even so, he’s still doing all he can to try and take this forward.”

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Fernando Alonso is set to return to Formula 1 as a driver for Renault next year.

Alonso, the two-time world champion, left F1 in 2018 after four unsuccessful years with McLaren – the team Daniel Ricciardo is joining from Renault to free up space for the Spaniard’s return.

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The announcement that Sebastian Vettel will leave Ferrari at the end of the season after the two parties were unable to agree terms on a new contract began a domino effect which resulted in Carlos Sainz being hired by the Italians for 2021, with Ricciardo swiftly hired to replace Sainz.

And Alonso will now return to F1 as the Australian’s replacement at Renault, BBC Sport claim.

Renault will partner Alonso with Esteban Ocon, the 23-year-old Frenchman who began his two-year deal with the Oxfordshire-based team at the start of this season.

Alonso has tried his hand at endurance racing since leaving F1 – winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 – and also raced in the IndyCar Series. His other venues away from F1 include twice competing at the Indianapolis 500 – finishing 24th in 2017 and DNQing last year; he is due to enter this year’s race with Arrow McLaren SP and will hope for success at the third attempt.

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Darren Bent has praised Lewis Hamilton for battling his critics and pioneering equality and the Black Lives Matter message in Formula One.

The six-time F1 world champion may not have won on his return to the track over the weekend, but there was a victory for the Brit as the predominantly white sport proclaimed its support of racial equality.

Hamilton, who has been vocal in his support of the Black Lives Matter movement, was among 14 drivers to take a knee before Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix – the delayed first race of the 2020 season which was won by Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.

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Although six drivers decided not to take the knee, all wore ‘End Racism’ or ‘Black Lives Matter’ T-shirts, while Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc – two of the six to stay standing – insisted they are committed to the fight with statements on social media.

Hamilton – who raced in a blacked out Mercedes – did not criticise his follow competitors who didn’t join in the gesture, explaining that ‘nobody should be forced’ and that he ‘never requested or demanded’ anyone should take a knee.

But, having been outspoken following the death of George Floyd in police custody in the United States, Hamilton insisted he is committed to continue leading from the front to ensure the fight against racism does not ‘die a silent death’.

And former Premier League striker Bent says the Brit deserves praise for continuing to push the message despite the incredible abuse he faces online.

View this post on Instagram

Today was an important moment for me and all the people out there who are working for and hoping for change. For a more equal and just society. I may get criticism in the media and elsewhere, but this fight is about equality, not politics or promotion. To me it was an emotional and poignant chapter in the progress of making F1 a more diverse and inclusive sport. I want a better future for our generation and the ones after us. There is so much that needs to be done. No one is perfect but if we all chip in and do our part, we can see change. I truly believe that. Thank you to my team for their incredible support and hard work this weekend and thank you to all who supported. Let’s keep pushing, guys. See you next week. Love. #EndRacism #BlackLivesMatter

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Jul 5, 2020 at 12:59pm PDT

Speaking on Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast, Bent said said: “Lewis Hamilton has been doing so much for that sport to try and open people’s eyes.

“It was a bit strange to not to see everyone kneeling, it shows there’s still a little bit of a divide there.

“I know some of them will say kneeling means something different in their countries… but it’s a step in the right direction for that sport.

“Hamilton has come under fire, by the way, the criticism and stick he’s taken especially during this whole Black Lives Matter movement…

“If you look at some of the comments he gets on a daily basis on Twitter, for someone who is an absolute pioneer in his sport, winning six world titles, and for him to get the kind of stick he does, it’s totally uncalled for, it’s totally unjustified.

“And even so, he’s still doing all he can to try and take this forward.”

Hamilton has also revealed he was ‘silenced and told to back down’ after planning to make a gesture in support of former NFL player Colin Kaepernick before the 2017 US Grand Prix.

Kaepernick made the headlines in the States when he sat down and later knelt during the national anthem ahead of a San Francisco 49ers game, in a protest against racial inequality.

The quarterback’s actions polarised opinion in the US, and he was released by the 49ers at the end of the 2016 season and has not played in the sport since.

Hamilton has said he had planned a similar gesture in support of Kaepernick and the equality message, complete with having a custom helmet made featuring the quarterback’s team colours and number, and regrets not following through with it after warnings from F1 chiefs.

But Bent can understand why, saying it could have ‘been the end of him’ in the sport.

“It’s a lot easier now to do these protests, to do these things that are hopefully going to make a difference,” added the former footballer.

“Back then when it first happened to Kaepernick and the way people were outraged by it, it was on every sports network in America , it was all over the place.

“Lewis Hamilton has said he wishes he had done it back then, but I can fully understand why he wouldn’t have done it.

“The criticism he gets now is bad, but if he had been done for taking a knee back then too, that might have been the end of him.”

Listen to a clip of Darren Bent on the talkSPORT Breakfast above

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Valtteri Bottas won an incident-packed first race of the new Formula 1 season in Austria, as Lewis Hamilton was demoted to fourth due to a five-second time penalty.

Bottas, who led every lap in a peerless performance, crossed the line just 0.6 seconds clear of his Mercedes team-mate, but the world champion was penalised after he was involved in a crash with Red Bull driver Alex Albon in the closing stages.

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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc moved up to second, with British driver Lando Norris taking the first podium of his career to finish third.

Red Bull appeared to have pulled off a tactical masterstroke by pitting Albon for fresh tyres during a second of three safety car periods.

On the restart and with just 10 laps of racing left, Albon moved round the outside of Hamilton at the fourth corner, but on the exit Hamilton refused to concede the position – front-left tyre hitting Albon’s right rear.

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Albon was launched into the gravel, ending his chances of a dramatic win. The stewards laid the blame at Hamilton’s door.

It marked the second time in three races the pair have collided.

Hamilton was also penalised for hitting Albon at last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

The penalty capped a dramatic afternoon for Hamilton, who was earlier sent back to fifth on the grid for a yellow flag infringement in qualifying.

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Six Formula 1 drivers decided not to take the knee prior to the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Danil Kvyat, Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen remained standing while the majority kneeled at the front of the grid.

However, all wore ‘End Racism’ or ‘Black Lives Matter’ shirts and two of those who chose to stand insisted they are committed to the fight against prejudice with statements on social media.

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Leclerc explained: “All 20 drivers stand united with their teams against racism and prejudice, at the same time embracing the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion, supporting Formula 1’s and FIA’s commitment.

“I believe that what matters are facts and behaviours in our daily life rather than formal gestures that could be seen as controversial in some countries.

“I will not take the knee but this does not mean at all that I am less committed than others in the fight against racism. #EndRacism #WeRaceAsOne #RacingUnited #PurposeDriven.”

Verstappen said: “I am very committed to equality and the fight against racism.

“But I believe everyone has the right to express themself at a time and in a way that suits them.

“I will not take the knee today but respect and support the personal choices every driver makes. #WeRaceAsOne #EndRacism.”

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Lewis Hamilton took the knee after speaking out about racism at the conclusion of qualifying on Saturday.

“We know there is an issue,” the Mercedes driver said regarding the split between drivers over taking a knee.

“We don’t need an experience like tomorrow to prove that. We spoke a bit in the drivers’ briefing, yep, interesting.

“I don’t know what we will see tomorrow. Potentially, people will pay their respects in their own way.

“I just described that silence is complicit and there is still silence in some cases.

“So, I thanked those that have said something on their social media platforms – because they have a great voice – and encouraged the others that have not, to say something.

“It is about helping people understand because there are people who don’t fully understand what is happening, and the reasons behind these protests. I try to continue to guide and influence as many people as I can with it.”

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