Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, in Budapest, Hungary on July 31, 2022. (Photo by XPB/Press Association Images via CFP)
Max Verstappen produced a brilliant drive to rise from P10 to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, further extending his lead at the top of the Driver's standings.
The Red Bull driver had to settle for 10th place in Saturday's qualifying after his car developed problems in Q3, ending an already bad day for the side whose second driver Sergio Perez qualified in P11.
The Dutchman started the race in an inspired fashion, climbing to 8th place on the first lap.
In lap 5, Verstappen swept past Fernando Alonso, who had run wide at Turn 3, to take 7th place.
The defending champion made another move on Lap 7, prying P6 off Ocon and immediately beginning to chase down Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for P5.
The two drivers overtook McLaren's Lando Norris on Lap 12.
A series of pit stops followed placed the Red Bull driver right in the battle for P1, taking advantage of tactical undercuts to gain on the leading pack.
He overtook Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on Lap 41, but a spin for the Red Bull gave the Ferrari the lead right back.
Verstappen continued his hunt and managed to overtake Leclerc again on Lap 45 to take the lead in the race.
By the end of the race, Verstappen crossed the finish line first ahead of the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and George Russell, who started the race on pole.
"I was of course hoping I could get close to the podium, but very tricky conditions out there. But we had a really good strategy, we were really reactive and always pitting at the right at time, I think we had some good out-laps and at the end even with 360, we won the race!" said Verstappen after the race.
"It was very good, I was battling a lot of guys, so it was a lot of fun out there… a crazy race and of course very happy that we won't it."
Carlos Sainz took fourth place for Ferrari, with Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez taking fifth. Leclerc finished sixth ahead of Norris.
Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel rounded up the points positions in his first race since he announced his impending retirement at the end of the season.
Following Sunday's race, Red Bull opened a 97-point lead at the top of the constructors' championship, while Verstappen widened his lead at the top of the drivers' standings to 80 points.
The teams and drivers proceeded to a mid-season break, with action scheduled to resume on August 26-28 with the Belgian Grand Prix.