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Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing and British driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG during the 2014 Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. Photo: EPA

Daniel Ricciardo wins his second grand prix in drenched Hungary

Australian Red Bull driver avoids the chaos to take the chequered flag in front of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton

Australian Daniel Ricciardo charged to a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix victory on Sunday, his second Formula One win for Red Bull, as a drenched track caused chaos among world championship leaders.

Ricciardo, 25, held off Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to take first place in a race which saw several high-speed crashes after a heavy downpour just before the start changed the course of the race.

Lotus' Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado loses control during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Photo: AFP

Britain’s former world champion Lewis Hamilton, who started from the pit lane and spun on the first lap, ignored Mercedes team orders to let championship leader Nico Rosberg pass, and held onto third place ahead of his teammate.

Hamilton’s race engineer Pete Bonnington warned him: “Nico is behind and on the option tyres so don’t hold him up.”

I’ll let him through if he gets closer. I’m not slowing down for Nico
Lewis Hamilton

Further warnings followed but Hamilton declined to heed them. “I’ll let him through if he gets closer,” he said. “I’m not slowing down for Nico.”

Mercedes said it would hold a team inquiry. Hamilton’s success trimmed Rosberg’s lead in the title race from 14 points to 11. The German now leads with 202, Hamilton has 191 and Ricciardo is third with 131.

Red Bull Racing's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo celebrates after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix. Photo: AFP

Ricciardo led twice before he fought back to recapture the lead with three laps remaining 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 pack in action at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix at a wet Hungaroring race track. Photo: EPA

“This feels just as good as the first one,” said Ricciardo. “It was a lot of fun in the last few laps, with the passing. I had to go for it.”

It was a lot of fun in the last few laps, with the passing. I had to go for it
Daniel Ricciardo

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 Jenson Button tenth for McLaren.

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