Heamilton heads to Silverstone with the bit between his teeth

F1 champion registers the 86th win of his Formula One career - his second of the 2020 season and eighth at the Hungaroring, matching Michael Schumacher's record for the most wins scored at the same race and the same track.

CHAMP: Hamilton wins in Hungary

ON TRACK, it all went well for Lewis Hamilton this weekend. First the current world champion secured his 90th career pole position and then he controlled the Hungarian Grand Prix with a lights to flag victory that looked of consummate ease.

It is embarrassing that many teams have not made any public commitment to diversity or that we couldn’t properly find time to make a symbolic gesture in support of ending racism before the race

Lewis Hamilton

Off track, Hamilton, who’s 86th F1 victory leaves him just five behind Michael Schumacher’s record, still has a way to go before he’s totally happy with the way his sports has presented the face of their version of the fight against discrimination in all of its forms.

You can tell Hamilton is desperate for Formula One to present a unified position in a similar guise to the way the Premier League has in the UK or the NBA in America.

DISCONNECTED: Picture speaks a 1000 words

While the subject of whether or not drivers stand or kneel isn’t at the heart of his consternation the messy and frankly unorganised pre-race photo-call in Hungary clearly irked Hamilton, who took to social media after his win to basically issue his peers with a call of action to do better.

He wrote: “Today I raced for everyone out there who is pushing to make positive change and fight inequality, however, sadly, as a sport we need to do so much more.

“It is embarrassing that many teams have not made any public commitment to diversity or that we couldn’t properly find time to make a symbolic gesture in support of ending racism before the race.

Lewis (63 points) leads the Drivers’ Championship by five points from Valtteri (58 points)

“Today felt rushed and massively lacked organisation and effort, which in turn dilutes the message and makes it seem like there was something more important. It doesn’t matter if you stand or kneel, but we should be showing the world that F1 is united in its commitment to equality and inclusivity.

“F1 and the FIA need to do more.

“There is no quick fix for racial inequality, but it is certainly something that we can’t just acknowledge once and then move on.

“We have to stay focussed, keep highlighting the problem and hold those with the power accountable. #BlackLivesMatter #EndRacism.

Hamilton has won eight times in Hungary, the track clearly agrees with him.

Having stuttered in Austria where he finished fourth following a time penalty incurred during the race, The Stevanage born racer said he was feeling focused following back to back wins.

Honestly, it was one of my favourite races to have race and whilst I was on my own for the race it was just a different kind of challenge.

“Of course we had great pace but it couldn’t have been without these great guys that are working, that did great pit stops, great strategy, and right at the end there, because I was managing those mediums for a long, long time, so right at the end there it was great to get on the fresh tyre and get the extra point.

He added: “I think round one was multiple different punches that I wasn’t perhaps ready for, but I re-focused, which I try to do between every race, and the last two have been fantastic and I think this weekend on point throughout the weekend so I need to keep this up.”

Mercedes team mate Valtteri  Bottas recovered from a poor start to fight his way back to P3, scoring his second podium finish at the Hungaroring. Explaining how the race went from his perspective he said: “That was a tough race. Obviously starting second on the grid, you aim to win the race, but I had a bad start and lost a few positions.

“I reacted to a light on my dash that went off, instead of the start lights, which then meant the car went into anti-stall and I had to do the start again.

“I lost some ground there and that made the race very difficult for me, as I was fighting right to the very end.”

The mission is clear: #EndRacism

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was very satisfied with the weekends haul, adding: “A 1-3 result is really satisfying, especially on a track that hasn’t always been our favourite in the past. A great result for the team.

“Lewis had a really good start in those tricky conditions and from there, he was in control of the race, managing his pace and dealing with the curveballs the weather threw at us. For Valtteri, obviously he had a difficult start and that dropped him into the midfield, but he fought back well to finish P3.

“We leave the Hungaroring with three wins out of three races and very happy. The car seems to be in a good place but to maintain it, we know we need to keep working hard and adding performance.

“Now we’re looking ahead to Silverstone in two weeks and we’re looking forward to be back there.

Looking forward to his home Grand Prix Hamilton enthused: “Everything has just been on point throughout the weekend, so we need to try and keep it up.

“I can’t wait for Silverstone now, although I’ll miss the energy the fans bring, so I hope I can perform for them there as I know they’ll be watching from home.”

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