Formula 1: Both championship leads change hands in Hungary
By Asher Fair
The leads of both the Formula 1 driver standings and the constructor standings changed hands after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Entering the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, Red Bull and Max Verstappen had led the Formula 1 constructor standings and driver standings, respectively, after each of the last six races going back to their Monaco Grand Prix win at Circuit de Monaco.
But after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the 11th and final race before the summer break, both championship leads have changed hands.
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Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton have both reclaimed their points leads following a second consecutive disastrous race for Red Bull and Verstappen.
In the British Grand Prix, contact from Hamilton took Verstappen out of the race on the opening lap, and Hamilton was able to rally back from the 10-second time penalty he was issued for causing the collision. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas finished in third place, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez failed to score.
Neither team won the Hungarian Grand Prix, but it was still a “win” for Mercedes.
Bottas caused a collision in the first turn which damaged Verstappen’s car and knocked Perez out of the race. Verstappen was able to continue but was only able to rally for a 10th place finish. Hamilton finished in third after overcoming his team’s own miscue on the ensuing restart.
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Mercedes ended up scoring 15 points with Hamilton, while Red Bull only managed to score one with Verstappen.
After outscoring Red Bull 43-3 at Silverstone Circuit to shrink their 286-242 (44-point) advantage to a 289-285 (four-point) advantage, Mercedes have taken back the lead and now sit 10 points ahead (300-290) of their title rivals. As for the drivers, Hamilton outscored Verstappen 27-3 at Silverstone Circuit and 15-1 at the Hungaroring. So after trailing Verstappen by 32 points (182-150) following the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, Hamilton now has a six-point lead (192-186).
Note that his lead could actually rise, given the ongoing investigation surrounding Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and his runner-up finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
As such, the odds will shift in the favor of Mercedes and Hamilton as well, though WynnBET have yet to officially publish updated odds.
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Red Bull and Verstappen have been the favorites to win their respective championships for the last several races. They still may be the favorites, but if so, it will be just barely, considering both now trail with 12 races remaining in the 23-race season.
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The Belgian Grand Prix is the next race on the 2021 Formula 1 schedule. With the sport now in its annual summer break, this race is not scheduled to take place until Sunday, August 29. It is set to be broadcast live on ESPN from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.