Sebastian Vettel wins an emotional Hungarian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel’s first Hungarian Grand Prix victory arrived on a day when the paddock’s attention extended far beyond the result. Nine days after Jules Bianchi’s death, Vettel delivered a controlled Ferrari win through a race filled with collisions, penalties and failing machinery.

The Formula 1 community arrived in Budapest after attending Bianchi’s funeral in Nice. The French driver had died on 17 July 2015 from the injuries sustained in his accident at the previous year’s Japanese Grand Prix. Before the start in Hungary, the drivers gathered with Bianchi’s family for a minute’s silence, placing their helmets in a circle around his.

Mercedes had dominated the season and locked out the front row, with Lewis Hamilton on pole ahead of Nico Rosberg. Vettel started third, while Ferrari team-mate Kimi Räikkönen lined up fifth.

The expected Mercedes control disappeared almost immediately. Vettel launched ahead of both silver cars, and Räikkönen followed him through into second. Hamilton ran wide while attempting to recover and dropped into the midfield. Ferrari led one-two at the end of the opening lap.

Ferrari’s second car falls away

Vettel established the lead while Räikkönen initially provided protection behind him. The Finn’s race began to unravel when an energy-recovery problem reduced his power. Ferrari tried to continue, but the fault became terminal and Räikkönen retired.

The race changed again when Nico Hülkenberg’s Force India suffered a front-wing failure on the main straight. Debris covered the circuit and brought out the safety car, removing Vettel’s advantage and placing Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat close behind for the restart.

Vettel managed the restart cleanly. Behind him, the fight became increasingly untidy. Hamilton collided with Ricciardo and required a new front wing before receiving a drive-through penalty. Rosberg later made contact with Ricciardo while defending second place and suffered a puncture. Ricciardo damaged his own car in the incident but continued.

Kvyat moved into second despite receiving a ten-second penalty for leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage. Ricciardo finished third, giving Red Bull its first double podium of the season. Hamilton recovered to sixth and Rosberg finished eighth, leaving Mercedes without a podium for the first time in 28 races.

Victory number 41

Vettel completed the race 15.748 seconds ahead of Kvyat. It was his second victory for Ferrari, his first at the Hungaroring and the 41st win of his Formula 1 career.

That total placed him level with Ayrton Senna, who had occupied third place on the all-time victories list behind Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost. The comparison was a substantial career marker, although Vettel’s immediate attention remained with Bianchi. He dedicated the victory to the late driver during the podium celebrations and press conference.

The result also briefly restored Vettel as an outside championship threat. Mercedes remained the faster team across the season, but its difficult afternoon allowed the Ferrari driver to reduce the points gap.

Vettel would win once more in 2015, at Singapore, and finish third in the championship. Hungary remained the season’s most emotionally charged result: Ferrari leading from the start, Mercedes losing control of both cars, and Vettel reaching Senna’s total on the first race weekend held without Bianchi.