Lewis Hamilton fought up from a pit lane start and a first-lap spin to finish third as Daniel Ricciardo beat Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to win a sensational Hungarian Grand Prix.

And there may well be words behind the scenes at Mercedes after Hamilton refused orders to let team-mate Nico Rosberg pass by during the race.

Hamilton judged a thrilling wet-dry race perfectly to hold off title rival Rosberg, who finished fourth.

The result reduced Hamilton’s deficit to Rosberg to 11 points.

A spectacular last 10 laps featured a three-way scrap for the lead when Alonso, Hamilton and Ricciardo’s diverging strategies brought them together, and with Rosberg closing fast after his own late stop.

But Ricciardo passed Alonso for the victory with three laps to go.

A few laps earlier, Hamilton had been told to let Rosberg by to maximise the German’s total race time.
Rosberg complained repeatedly on the radio, asking why Hamilton was not letting him past.

But Hamilton, realising that if he let Rosberg by he was at risk of finishing the race behind him, refused, saying: “Tell him to get closer.”

Rosberg’s stop on lap 56 ended the discussion, but it will certainly continue behind closed doors at Mercedes after the race. One of the great F1 races saw the advantage swing backwards and forwards throughout after a wet start, two safety car periods and some thrilling racing in front of a large crowd.

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