Hamilton wins, takes Rosberg's title lead

The Hungarian Grand Prix is often decided at the first corner, given how tricky overtaking can be at the Hungaroring circuit, and Sunday's race was ultimately no exception.

Lewis Hamilton managed both to overtake his teammate, pole-position Nico Rosberg, and to hold off a challenge from the fast-starting Daniel Ricciardo through the first hairpin, claiming the lead for himself. He never relinquished the position.

"The start was everything," Hamilton said. "This is a great result for the team. What a day." The Brit has now won five times in Hungary, more than any other driver. He overtook Michael Schumacher's record of four wins on Sunday: "I grew up watching Michael so to have a similar number, and now one more than he had here, is incredible," Hamilton said.

Despite a sluggish start from pole, dropping to third in the first corner, Rosberg was able to strike back against Daniel Ricciardo around the outside through Turn 2. Having reclaimed second, however, he never seriously threatened his teammate for the lead.

Ricciardo rounded out the podium in third, holding off a last-gasp challenge from Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.

Kimi Räikkönen made the most progress through the field: having started a lowly 14th on the grid, he ran a contrary tyre strategy and climbed to finish sixth. Despite spending the closing laps all over the gearbox of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the Finn was unable to claim fifth position.

At one point, the pair collided, with Räikkönen suffering some damage to his front wing; he complained more than once via team radio, saying he believed the teenager was defending his position too aggressively.

Fernando Alonso was seventh for McLaren Honda - fast around the twisty track that masks their Honda power plant's missing horsepower - ahead of Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas and Germany's Nico Hülkenberg.

The win puts defending champion Hamilton into the lead in the drivers' championship for the first time all season. After the first four races this season, Rosberg held a perfect record and a 43-point lead.

Eleven races into the 2016 season, Hamilton now has 192 championship points to Rosberg's 186. As if to show how competitive the title might be without the dominance of Mercedes, a meager five points separate Ricciardo, Räikkönen, Vettel and Verstappen in their distant fight to be "best of the rest."

The German Grand Prix at Hockenheim - back on the calendar after last year's canceled race at the Nürburgring - is next up, on Sunday, July 31. Rosberg, who extended his Mercedes contract during this race weekend, won there in 2014.