How it happened: Hamilton wins in Hungary

The Formula One world champion, returns to the winner's rostrum with victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton, without a victory since winning the Chinese Grand Prix in 2008, returns to winning ways today as he took the chequered flag at the Hungary Grand Prix. Hamilton took advantage of pole-sitter Fernando Alonso's misfortune after 12 laps when the Renault driver's front right tyre literally came off and the ensuing damage meant he was unable to continue despite making it back to the pit lane. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen helped put a smile back on the team's face after Felipe Massa's horrific crash yesterday to finish second, while Red Bull's Mark Webber followed up his victory at the Nurburgring earlier this month by finishing third this time round. Championship leader Jenson Button found it hard going and could only manage to finish seventh, while Formula one's youngest ever driver, Jaime Alguersuari of the Toro Rosso team, coming home in 15th, ahead of his teammate Sebastian Buemi, who finished last. LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE 2009 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX Lap 68 Top 8 recap with two laps remaining: Hamilton leads. Raikkonen second followed by Webber, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Glock, Button and Trulli. Lap 65 Nakajima is desperate for a point and is breathing down the neck of Trulli in eighth. Quite an interesting battle for fifth as well with Glock pounding Kovalainen. Lap 63 McLaren first, Ferrari second. Not since the glory days of, well, last year have we seen that scenario. Webber third, Rosberg fourth followed by Kovalainen, Glock, Button and Trulli. Lap 61 Just as I say that, Glock does come into the pits. He must have been running that car on fumes. Everyone has now made their second stops. It's now a sprint to the finish. Lap 60 10 laps to go. Hamilton leads, Button pushing hard and up into seventh, he needs to finish high you suspect for team confidence. Glock is still third, I may have got this wrong after all you know. Lap 58 Timo Glock is pushing Raikkonen hard but unless I have done my maths wrong, he still has to come in for another stop. It wouldn't be the first time I have been wrong today, although let's not forget my prediction at 3.55pm about Hamilton finishing on the podium. Lap 56 Hamilton's lead is now up to 17.2 seconds, it's his to lose now. Button, passed by his Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello, enters the pits and returns a place worse off in 10th. Lap 54 Glock still has to come in for a second stop so Webber theoretically is racing in third place. Nakajima has just overtaken Button to move up to eighth. Lap 52 Hamilton leads by a monstrous 16 seconds. The rest of the point-scoring positions are occupied by Raikkonen, Glock, Webber, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Trulli and Button. Lap 51 Jenson Button is still struggling down in eighth place and will be hoping for a helping hand from the other drivers in denting Webber's charge with the Australian driver currently fourth. Lap 48 Right, let's clear this up once and for all. Mark Webber is now on super-softs. That was a much more cohesive pit stop than the one earlier and he manages to get back out ahead of Rosberg and Kovalainen into fourth. Lap 46 Perhaps Webber won't be in for softer-tyres since every driver and his cat is now coming in for the harder option. Hamilton the latest in for the change. In saying that, he doesn't look as in control as he did on the super-softs. Lap 45 Raikkonen changes to the harder tyres but struggles trying to pull away. He rejoins in fourth as he prepares another assault. Lap 44 Kovalainen in and out of the pits in sixth sandwiched in between the two Toyotas of Glock and Trulli. Lap 43 Webber is on the harder tyres and is now trailing Raikkonen by 15.2 seconds. I wonder if he will change to the super-softs on his next pit stop. Lap 40 With most of the day dominated by Massa-Alonso-Hamilton updates, I should inform you that today sees Jaime Alguersuari of Spain become the youngest driver ever in F1 for Toro Rosso at the age of 19 years and 125 days. He currently lies in 15th place - ahead of his teammate Sebastian Buemi. Lap 39 It's been too long since we've seen the world champion Hamilton drive this well or the McLaren perform to its potential. He is driving a superb race and opening a bigger gap with every lap. Lap 38 Hamilton leads Raikkonen by 7.1 seconds. Webber responds to team orders and opens up a slight gap over Kovalainen. The Australian driver has more fuel on board than the McLaren man so the Finn will need to get a move on if we are to see two McLaren drivers on the podium today. Lap 35 - halfway stage Let's have a recap of the top eight: Hamilton leads from Raikkonen with Webber third. Kovaiainen is in fourth chased by Nico Rosberg, Glock, Trulli and world championship leader Button. Lap 33 Glock in for his first stop. The Toyota driver has had a steady race so far leaving Hamilton and Raikkonen to battle it out in front of him. Lap 32 Worrying times for Brawn GP and Button's title hopes. "Guys, I'm already getting oversteer. How? How can this car be so bad at the moment?" The drivers' leader is currently ninth - four seconds behind Jarno Trulli. Lap 31 Your front three at the Hungary Grand Prix are: Hamilton 6.2 seconds ahead of Raikkonen. Timo Glock is up into third with Webber and Heikki Kovalainen not far behind. Lap 30 Vettel's race is over. He joins Alonso and Sutil in retirement from the race. Lap 29 Button, although struggling himself, will take heart knowing that his main rivals, the Red Bulls of Webber and Vettel, are not firing on all cylinders today. Vettel back in 17th with a rear suspension problem. Lap 27 Vettel into the pits from eighth with panic in his voice over the team radio. The German driver has had a torrid race so far. Lap 25 Button not a happy bunny as he enters the pits and orders his team to keep him on super-softs. Lap 23 Today is full of surprises. I've just realised Kazuki Nakajima entered the pits from fourth place. I think that is the first time ever those words have left my mouth to construct a sentence. Lap 21 I suspect the Red Bull of Webber will be punished for that calamity. The fuel hose was still attached to the car as the lollipop went up. Hamilton is having a wonderful drive and is back in first place ahead of fellow Briton Button in second. Lap 20 Raikkonen and Webber into the pits but the Red Bull team make a monumental mistake. When he does eventually get out he nearly clatters the Ferrari driver. Hamilton also in. Lap 17 Alonso must be in bits. The Spaniard, on his first poll since 2007, has had to retire with his car too badly damaged from losing the right front wheel. The long-awaited duel with Hamilton at the front is no more. Lap 16 It's a day of firsts for Lewis Hamilton this season. The McLaren driver now leads in Budapest! Anyone remember my earlier prediction? Lap 14 Alonso back in the pits and is now down in 18th. Sutil had retired earlier by the way, the Force India driver has not re-emerged from the pits. Lap 12 Oh dear. Alonso couldn't sell his luck for a dirham. No sooner has he rejoined the race but the right front wheel comes bouncing - literally - off the car and across the Hungaroring circuit. He's driving around on three wheels. Alonso has pitted a lap earlier than we expected and changes to another set of super-softs. He rejoins in 10th. Lap 11 Championship rivals Vettel and Button down in eighth and ninth, not really any good to anyone. Button over the team radio is complaining of a proplem with his rear tyres "graining". To technical for me that one. Lap nine Webber is applying the pressure to Hamilton, who in turn is breathing down the neck of Alonso at the front. The Spaniard's lead is now less than one second. Lap eight It might just be me but Alonso seems to be struggling. He's certainly not as quick as Hamilton and the Spaniard will be hoping he can hold out in front until lap 12 when he is expected to pit. The majority of the cars are on super-soft tyres today. Lap six Alonso leads Hamilton by 2.5 seconds as the Brit shows his championship form of last year with some lightning quick laps. I've just heard Sutil may in fact be rejoining the race as he was bought in to the pit lane because his water temperatures were very high. Lap five Here is something I haven't said on too many occasions this season; 'Lewis Hamilton is in second position'. The Briton takes the Red Bull of Mark Webber at the end of the pits with one boost of the kers. Lap three A not-all-too-unfamiliar story of Adrian Sutil retiring early from a Formula One grand prix. Three laps must be close to a personal best though. 4.08pm It goes from bad to worse for Vettel as we hear over his team radio he has damage to his front wing. It looks like he collided with Kimi Raikkonen as the two josstled for position before turn one. 4.04pm A mixed bag for the front row at the start of the Hungary GP. Alonso out like a greyhound but Vettel stutters and falls down to eighth from second. A bad start for the Brawn team too as Button drops down one place to ninth and Barrichello down in 18th place. 4.03pm GO GO GO! 4.00pm Let's change the time format as the cars set off on their formation lap. 1555 Five minutes from the start of the race. Predictions please. I'm going for Mark Webber with Lewis Hamilton to finish on the podium. 1554 A quick look on google translate says the message reads: "For Felipe. We are with you." 1551 The Ferrari mechanics hold up a sign that reads: "Forza Felipe. Siamo con te" for their stricken driver Felipe Massa during the Hungarian Grand Prix. I have no idea what it says but I can only assume it's a message wishing the Brazilian a speedy recovery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fernando Alonso will start the Hungary Grand Prix from pole position today but an air of gloom hangs in the air after Felipe Massa's 270kph horror crash yesterday at the Hungaroring circuit left the Ferrari driver with a fractured skull. Ferrari today released a statement saying the 28-year-old Brazilian driver was stable after undergoing an operation yesterday afternoon after the crash left him with two fractures in his skull, and added they hoped a CT scan later today at Budapest's AEK military hospital would confirm he is on schedule to make a full recovery. Massa hit a tyre wall after a spring from Rubens Barrichello's car flew up and hit his helmet. The sport's governing body, the FIA, today announced they are to conduct an investigation into the accident along with the Brawn team in an attempt to discover the causes of the incident and whether any changes are required to improve safety. Alonso emerged as the pole sitter yesterday amid a mass of confusion caused by a yellow flag in Q1 and a computer timing system failure in Q3 with a time of 1 min 21.596secs. The double world champion has happy memories of Budapest, winning his maiden race in F1 2003 while at Renault, at the youngest ever winner of a race at the time. It is the Spaniard's first pole since sitting at the front of the grid for the Italian Grand Prix in 2007. Red Bull will be looking to follow up their success last time out in Germany and Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are finely placed to chip further away at Jenson Button's title lead as they sit second and third on the grid respectively. McLaren's British driver, Lewis Hamilton, claimed a season's best fourth place, while Brawn GP driver Button will start from eighth.

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