BUDAPEST: 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.

Britain’s former world champion Lewis Hamilton, who who started last and from the pitlane after crashing during qualifying and span on the first lap, ignored Mercedes team orders to let Nico Rosberg pass, and held onto third place ahead of this team-mate.

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Championship leader Rosberg, who started on pole position for Mercedes, was fourth in an astonishing race with two safety car periods and the top four separated by just 6.3 seconds at the chequered flag.

Hamilton cut Rosberg’s lead to 11 points after 11 races. Rosberg leads the championship with 202 points, followed by Hamilton with 191 and Ricciardo with 131.

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. It was Ricciardo’s second victory of the season and his career, having won the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in June and he 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.

Several drivers, including Seba­stien Grosjean and Kamui Kobay­ashi, crashed bringing out the safety car twice which 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.

The championship continues after the summer break on Aug. 24 with the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2014