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“We would have had the pace to win if we hadn’t had that DRS issue,” the Briton told his team over the radio after taking the chequered flag and banking an extra point for fastest lap.

Hamilton had bolted on a set of softs for the last 18 laps and passed Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Russell before setting off in pursuit of Verstappen, who was ultimately too far down the road.

Leclerc was left wondering, not for the first time this season, what might have been had Ferrari put him on a different strategy.

While the Italian team licked more self-inflicted wounds, others saw only blunders.

The Monegasque made three pitstops, one more than others, after starting on medium tyres, continuing on another set for his second stint and then going to the hards – losing performance and places – before finally switching to softs.

The Ferrari driver had swept past Russell to take the lead on lap 31 and pull away, with every indication it would be his day.

Instead, he leaves Budapest with his title hopes hanging from the most slender of threads and Mercedes closing in on Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.

Red Bull have 431, Ferrari 334 and Mercedes 304.

Sainz finished fourth with Sergio Perez fifth for Red Bull. Lando Norris took seventh for McLaren with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon eighth and ninth.

Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel, who announced on Thursday his retirement at the end of the season, took the final point for Aston Martin after another close battle with teammate Lance Stroll in 11th.

Reuters

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