RACE REPORT
Both Red Bull drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, had to battle hard
to hold on to their final places however.
In the closing stages Ricciardo came under pressure from Sebastian Vettel,
and though the gap between the two at the chequered flag was just 0.6s, the
Australian always looked assured of his third Hungarian Grand Prix podium finish in
a row.
“It’s great to have another podium this year. Obviously the first one [in Monaco]
was a bit bittersweet but this one I can definitely enjoy and for sure the smile’s back.
Super happy to be here today. It’s three years in a row I’ve been on the podium at
this circuit. It’s been good to me.”
Verstappen, though, had a real fight on his hands in the final quarter of the
race.
The Dutch driver made his final pit stop, for soft tyres, on lap 39 and slotted
in behind Kimi Raikkonen who was on a different strategy and who had made
impressive progress from 14th on the grid. Raikkonen then pitted on lap 50, taking
on a set of supersofts tyres. He rejoined behind Verstappen but armed with fresher,
faster tyres he soon closed the gap to the Red Bull driver and began to put the
youngster 18-year-old sensation under intense pressure.