F1: Maiden Win for Button in Hungary

[OMEN]

After six seasons and 113 grand prix starts, Jenson Button has finally scored a Formula One race win after taking the chequered flag in the rain-affected Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Honda driver crossed the line comfortably ahead of McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld - the podium positions perhaps reflecting the thrilling nature of a race which produced more incident than the previous half-dozen grands prix combined.

That the race was very much a 'one-off' could also be seen in its outcome having no major effect on the championship battle, with title contenders Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso both retiring.

After starting 15th on the grid, Renault's Alonso had risen to hold a commanding lead before a drive shaft failure signalled his demise on lap 52.

Meanwhile, struggling to score precious championship points as his tyres disintegrated, Schumacher retired from fourth place late in the race, his car suffering broken steering after being overtaken by Heidfeld.

Running behind Alonso at the time of the latter's retirement - the Spaniard's first since the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix - Button's win had an element of good fortune about it.

But it was nonetheless fully deserved, the 26-year-old driving faultlessly in a race whose constantly changing track conditions required the coolest of heads.

Despite the rain that had fallen all morning in Budapest having eased, the 2.722-mile Hungaroring track was still sodden as polesitter Kimi Raikkonnen assumed the lead.

Having started way down in 11th, 14th and 15th places after incurring penalties during practice and qualifying, Schumacher, Button and Alonso all made the expected strong starts.

Schumacher made the strongest of all, taking fourth place on lap one, with Alonso passing team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella for fifth on lap two and Button taking eighth from Red Bull's David Coulthard on lap three.

Alonso passed Schumacher for fourth on lap four, with Button signalling his own intent by getting past the Ferrari three laps later.

With the rain again starting to fall, Schumacher's backwards progress could be explained by his Bridgestone intermediate tyres being less able to cope with the conditions than Michelin's own rubber.

Raikkonen was leading team-mate Pedro de la Rosa when the pair stopped on lap 17, with the heavily-fuelled Alonso assuming the lead.

With the rain again easing, Alonso's lead over Raikkonen had been extended to 38s by lap 26, with de la Rosa third ahead of Button.

But the Finn's race was soon to end in spectacular fashion when, under pressure from his team-mate, Raikkonen hit Vitantonio Liuzzi while attempting to lap the Italian's Torro Rosso.

The McLaren was launched into the air and almost flipped following contact but, his car shedding bodywork as it landed on its wheels, Raikkonen emerged unscathed.

The safety car was deployed for five laps as marshals cleared up the debris, with Alonso comfortably leading Button once racing resumed.

But the Englishman then proceeded to set a series of fast laps as he closed the gap, Button closing right on to Alonso's tail by lap 45 as the pair weaved to cool their intermediate tyres.

Button pitted for fuel one lap later with Schumacher - again making progress as his tyres found their sweet-spot on the drying track - also pitting from fifth place.

Their driver now leading Button by over 14s, Renault brought Alonso in for grooved dry-weather tyres on lap 51 but a subsequent drive shaft failure resulted in his R26 pirouetting off the track.

After also pitting for dries on lap 54, Button now led Schumacher but, with the latter's intermediates overheating on the dry track, the third-placed de la Rosa was bearing down fast.

Laps 63 to 66 saw the race's most exciting duel, as Schumacher fought to fend off the McLaren's advances; on three successive laps de la Rosa attempted to pass into turn one, but the Ferrari's speed advantage on the start-finish straight allowed Schumacher to defend.

De la Rosa also attempted to pass at the chicane on lap 65, with Schumacher straight-lining as he desperately attempted to hold position. But the Spaniard finally prevailed after attempting a similar move one lap later.

Schumacher then fell into the clutches of Heidfeld but, with the BMW Sauber having similarly passed the Ferrari at the chicane on lap 68, the seven-times world champion subsequently trailed into the pits to retire.

His progress almost forgotten amid Schumacher's travails, Button punched the air as he rounded the final corner to take the chequered flag half a minute ahead of de la Rosa, with Heidfeld a further 13 seconds back.

Barrichello finished fourth, ahead of Coulthard, Toyota's Ralf Schumacher, BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica - a points-scoring debut from the Pole - and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Hungarian Grand Prix, result:

1. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 1:52:20.941
2. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) McLaren +00:30.837
3. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 00:43.822
4. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 00:45.205
5. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull - Ferrari 1 lap
6. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota 1 lap
7. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 1 lap
8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1 lap
9r. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 3 laps
10. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) MF1 - Toyota 3 laps
11. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) MF1 - Toyota 3 laps
12. Scott Speed (U.S.) Toro Rosso - Cosworth 4 laps
13r. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 5 laps
14. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda 5 laps
r. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 19 laps
r. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso - Cosworth 45 laps
r. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 45 laps
r. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams - Cosworth 51 laps
r. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 52 laps
r. Christian Klien (Austria) RedBull - Ferrari 64 laps
r. Mark Webber (Australia) Williams - Cosworth 69 laps
r. Sakon Yamamoto (Japan) Super Aguri - Honda 70 laps

(rank: r = retired, nc = not classified)

Sky Sports

[$tu]

Good Job Jensen..
This was one HELL of a race, definetly one of the best of the season, the passing was impecable, on a track that has little overtakin opportunity, sucks that MSC and Alonso are out, but HEY it keeps the title hunt alive betwix the two

[Supreme Allah]

This was one HELL of a race, definetly one of the best of the season, the passing was impecable, on a track that has little overtakin opportunity, sucks that MSC and Alonso are out, but HEY it keeps the title hunt alive betwix the two

same here and Schumacher finish 8th $tu
amazing race whit Alonso taking 1 lap from Schumacher but then Safety car for Raikonnen........and you now the rest

wtf whit the tyre of Alonso (somebody is gone get fired for that )

[the phenomenal sid]

schumi got a point and the lead in drivers title is cut to 10 pts by schumi & constructors lead trimmed to 7 pts by ferrari.

but it showed that this track needed patience which schumi had for all but 3 laps but the next 3 races are gonna be helluva interesting