Race Notes - Button wins Hungarian GP in changing conditions

Jenson Button won the Hungarian Grand Prix in his McLaren-Mercedes, once again mastering the conditions in a race that started damp and suffered from sprinkles of rain at times. Sebastian Vettel was second in the Red Bull-Renault, 3.5 seconds behind. Fernando Alonso finished third in the Ferrari, 19.8 seconds behind the winner.

The win is Button's 11th of his career, and his second win of the season on his 200 Grand Prix start. It is McLaren's fourth win of the season, and second in a row.

Lewis Hamilton (48.3s), lost his chance at the the win after opting to pit for intermediate wet tyres when a rain shower hit, finished in the McLaren in fourth place, followed by Mark Webber (49.742s) in the Red Bull was fifth, Felipe Massa (83.1s) in the Ferrari was sixth, Paul di Resta (1 lap) in the Force India-Mercedes was seventh, Sebastian Buemi in the Toro Rosso-Ferrari was eighth, Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes GP was ninth, and Jaime Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso finished in the final points paying position.

Before the start rain had fallen for a second week in a row, and the race would start on a damp track with intermediate wet tyres.

At the start Vettel leads from pole. Button challenging Hamilton for second but couldn't take the spot. Both Mercedes get past the Ferrari's at the start, Alonso getting past Michael Schumacher at the end of the lap.

At the end of the first lap, the order is Vettel, Hamilton, Button, Rosberg, Alonso, Schumacher, Massa, Webber, Di Resta and Kamui Kobayashi in tenth.

On lap 2 Alonso passes Rosberg for fourth.

On lap 3 Hamilton challenges Vettel for the lead, going side-by-side in turn 2 - Vettel holds on to the top spot.

On lap 4 Hamilton tries again for the lead in the same place, but still can't get past Vettel.

Alonso goes wide at turn 2, but continues - losing a place to Rosberg.

On lap 5 Vettel goes wide a turn 2, and Hamilton is through into the lead. Button closes on Vettel.

On lap 6 Mercedes GP tells Schumacher that there is no threat of rain for 20 minutes. Alonso goes wide and Massa goes though. At the end of the lap Alonso passes Massa into the first corner.

On lap 8 Massa spins in turn 2, lightly touching the barrier, but continues, down to ninth place. Hamilton sets the fastest lap at 1m40.4s.

On lap 9 Alonso uses the DRS to pass Rosberg around the outside into the first corner. Alonso sets fastest lap at 1m40.3s.

On lap 10 Webber pits for super soft dry tyres, Massa, Petrov and Barrichello pit as well. On the next lap Button pits from third and Di Resta from seventh. Maldonado and Heidfeld pit as well.

On lap 13 Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso and Rosberg pit from the first four places. Kobayashi, Buemi, Kovalainen, Sutil and Perez pit as well. Schumacher, yet to pit, runs in the lead. Hamilton passes Schumacher at the end of the lap. Schumacher pits. Button passes Vettel for second place. Webber passes Alonso for fifth. Hamilton sets fastest lap at 1m31.6s.

On lap 15 Webber runs wide into the first corner, but holds his position ahead of Alonso.

At lap 15 Hamilton leads Button by 6.5 seconds, followed by Vettel (7.2s), Webber (14.7s), Alonso (15.5s), Rosberg (21.3s), Di Resta (24.8s), Schumacher (28.8s) Massa (33.3s) and Kobayashi (44.3s) in tenth place.

On lap 16 Hamilton continues to lower the fastest lap, down to 1m28.8s.

On lap 17 Maldonado pits to take a drive-through penalty.

On lap 19 Heidfeld tries to pass into the first corner and goes wide, but continues. Button sets fastest lap at 1m28.1s. Weather information suggests that rain might be on the way in 10 minutes.

On lap 20 Hamilton sets fastest lap at 1m27.8s. Trulli pulls over at retires with an oil leak. Alonso stalks Webber for fourth place. Massa closes on Schumacher for eighth place. Webber sets fastest lap at 1m27.4s - times continue to tumble.

On lap 24 Hamilton complains on the radio that his rear tyres are starting to overheat. Button sets fastest lap at 1m27.0s. Heidfeld pits, the car overheating as he leaves - smoke poring from the car. Heidfeld pulls to the side of the track at pit exit, the car on fire. Heidfeld jumps from the car and the marshals put the fire out, as parts blow out from the car from a small explosion from the left side of the car.

Webber, Alonso, Massa, Petrov and Buemi pit, perhaps hoping for a safety car that doesn't come.

On lap 26 Hamilton pits from the lead. Button pits from the lead the next lap, Rosberg and Di Resta pit from sixth and seventh - Vettel stays out. Alonso sets fastest lap at 1m25.9s

On lap 28 Schumacher spins in turn 2 and retires with a gearbox problem. Vettel pits from the lead. Massa passes Rosberg for seventh place.

At lap 30 Hamilton leads Button by 7.2 seconds, followed by Vettel (14.4s), Webber (17.0s), Alonso (18.2s), Kobayashi (47.9s), Massa (48.5s), Rosberg (52.8s), Di Resta (56.8s) and Barrichello (66.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 31 Vettel sets fastest lap at 1m25.7s. Alonso closes on Webber in fourth place.

On lap 34 Perez pits to serve a drive-through penalty for passing under yellow flags during the Heidfeld fire. Webber defends from Alonso, while Massa passes Kobayashi for sixth, who falls back into the sights of Rosberg. Kobayashi then pits for tyres.

On lap 37 Alonso is the first to pit for a third time for another set of soft tyres, having been frustrated following behind Webber.

On lap 38 Alguersuari passes Barrichello into the first corner to take ninth place. Barrichello pits at the end of the lap.

Alonso sets fastest lap at 1m24.7s. Vettel complains his tyres are going off. The other front runners are running in 1m27 and 1m28s, and will be forced to react.

On lap 40 Webber pits from fourth place and takes on the harder prime tyre. Hamilton pits from the lead the next lap taking on soft tyres. Massa pits from seventh, with a slow stop.

On lap 42 Vettel pits from second place for hard tyres.

On lap 43 Button pits from the lead for hard tyres, rejoining in second, just ahead of Alonso. Massa passes Alguersuari for seventh place. Di Resta pits from ninth.

Webber is told on the radio that he needs to make the harder tyres last until the end of the race. Button sets fastest lap at 1m24.5s. McLaren tells Hamilton he needs to extend his lead to have a gap for his last stop.

On lap 45 Vettel passes Alonso for third place.

At lap 45 Hamilton leads Button by 6.3 seconds, followed by Vettel (9.9s), Alonso (12.6s), Webber (20.4s), Rosberg (52.7s), Massa (62.4s), Alguersuari (73.0s), Petrov (75.1s) and Kobayashi (77.9s) in tenth place.

McLaren tells Button to watch the wear on his front-left tyre to make it last to the finish.

Rain starts to fall on the track around turn 10 - Hamilton makes a half spin and rejoins in front of Di Resta to continue - Button takes the lead.

Alonso pits and takes on hard tyres. Alguersuari pits from eighth. Rain is falling in spots around the track.

Button leads Hamilton by 1.6 seconds - Vettel is 3.6 seconds behind the leader.

On lap 50 Hamilton closes in on his team mate in the lead on harder tyres. Ferrari tells Alonso that the rain should lessen in ten minutes.

With the cars slipping around, Button goes wide and Hamilton passes him for the lead. Rosberg pits for intermediate tyres.

On lap 52 Button passes Hamilton into the first corner - Hamilton repasses into turn 2. Webber pits for intermediates, along with Petrov, Barrichello, Sutil, Maldonado and Kovalainen - the spots of rain getting worse.

On lap 53 Hamilton pits for intermediates. Alonso, on dry tyres, closes on Hamilton. Webber pits again switching back to dry tyres.

On lap 54 Alonso passes Hamilton.

On lap 55 Hamilton pits for dry tyres, and will need to pit again as he is handed a drive-though penalty for spinning in front of Di Resta. Rosberg pits for dry tyres.

At lap 55 Button leads Vettel by 5.5 seconds, followed by Alonso (18.3s), Hamilton (45.1s), Massa (53.6s), Webber (56.0s), Kobayashi (1 lap), Buemi, Di Resta and Alguersuari in tenth place.

Red Bull tells Webber that he will be close to Hamilton when he takes his drive-though.

On lap 57 Webber sets fastest lap at 1m24.3s. Hamilton serves his drive-though and comes out in sixth place, behind Massa and Webber.

On lap 58 Webber passes Massa for fourth place into the first corner - Hamilton passes Massa into turn 6. Button sets fastest lap at 1m23.9s. Alonso half-spins, but continues. Massa pits for new tyres.

On lap 60 Kovalainen retires on the side of the track with a water leak. Hamilton sets fastest lap at 1m23.8 seconds. A long line of cars battles - Di Resta passes Kobayashi for seventh. Buemi passes Kobayashi - Alguersuari half spins but continues.

On lap 64 coming upon Kobayashi in turn 12, Hamilton passes Webber for fourth place.

On lap 68 Webber closes on Hamilton, but can't find a way past.

Button holds the lead to the finish, followed by Vettel in second and Alonso in third.