Daniel Ricciardo of Australia wins Hungarian Grand Prix

DANIEL Ricciardo of Australia has won the Hungarian Grand Prix last night, his second triumph of the season, in a sensational race.

Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, left, winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix, celebrates with Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, centre and second in the race, and British driver Lewis Hamilton, third.

AUSTRALIAN Daniel Ricciardo won the Hungarian Grand Prix last night, his second triumph of the season, in a sensational race in which Lewis Hamilton of Britain ignored team orders to let championship leader Nico Rosberg of Germany go by.

Ricciardo, who also took the Canadian Grand Prix, came first ahead of Fernando Alonso of Ferrari in a race in which rain caused several crashes.

Britain’s former world champion Hamilton was third and his Mercedes teammate Rosberg fourth.

Mercedes had urged Hamilton to let Rosberg overtake in the closing stages.

A drenched track caused chaos among world championship leaders.

Ricciardo, 25, held off Alonso in a race which saw several high-speed crashes after a heavy downpour just before the start changed the course of the race.

Hamilton, who started from the pit lane and span on the first lap, ignored Mercedes team orders to let Rosberg pass, and held on to third place ahead of this teammate.

Ricciardo led twice before he fought back to recapture the lead with three laps remaining, following a series of daring passes, to come home clear of Alonso.

Ricciardo’s win was executed with great elan and confirmed him as a driver with the potential to be a future champion. He won the Canadian Grand Prix for Red Bull in June and is the only non-Mercedes driver to have won a race this year.

The two Mercedes men had a fierce battle on the track and via the team radio as they tried to make the most of contrasting strategies in changeable conditions following a heavy rainstorm before the start.

Two Safety Car interventions played a major part in creating many unexpected moves in a race of surprises.

Brazilian Felipe Massa of Williams finished fifth ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari, defending four time champion German Sebastian Vettel in the second Red Bull and Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams.

Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne of Toro Rosso was ninth and Briton Jenson Button 10th for McLaren.

AFP