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Lewis Hamilton wins in Hungary to stretch F1 title lead over Sebastian Vettel

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position for Mercedes on Sunday to go into the August break with a 24-point lead over Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel. Vettel was runner-up in Hungary, 17.1 seconds behind, and survived a late collision with Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas who also banged bodywork with Red Bull's Australian Daniel Ricciardo. The victory was Hamilton's record sixth in Hungary, fifth of the season and 67th of his career. Ferrari, mourning the death of former chairman Sergio Marchionne, had Kimi Raikkonen finish third to complete a podium of champions on a dry and sweltering afternoon at the Hungaroring outside Budapest. In a race effectively decided by Saturday's wet qualifying, when Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid against expectation, Hamilton was never challenged. "We came here knowing Ferrari would be really quick this weekend so to come out with these points, we'll definitely take it as a bonus," said Hamilton in a pitlane interview after embracing team members. "I'm really happy with how strong it's come in the last couple of races. We've got to come strong in the next half," added the 33-year-old, who won in Germany from 14th place on the grid a weekend earlier. After 12 races, Hamilton has 213 points to Vettel's 189. Tire strategies were also crucial at a relatively slow and twisty circuit where overtaking is always difficult, with track temperatures hovering around 50 degrees Celsius. Vettel started on the softs and went for a longer first stint than Mercedes, worried by Ferrari's quick getaways, who opted for ultrasofts that were quicker at the start but faded more rapidly. Lining up in fourth place on the grid, Vettel grabbed third from Raikkonen immediately but could not find a way past Bottas who slotted in behind Hamilton as a defense against the red threat. "We were out of position. I think we could have gone with Lewis today with the race pace," said Vettel. "P2 is not really what we wanted this weekend but I think it was the maximum today." ANGRY VERSTAPPEN Raikkonen, without water during the race after Ferrari forgot to connect the bottle, made two stops and agreed third – his fifth successive podium finish – was the best he could have hoped for in the circumstances. "We caught up with Bottas after the first stop but there was no chance to overtake. So our option was to stop again and try again.

Kimi out, Bottas in at Ferrari?

Things have not gone well for Scuderia Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen since he returned to the team in 2014. After a pair of strong seasons for Lotus that saw him finish third and fifth, the Finn ended last season in 12th, 106 points behind his teammate, Spaniard Fernando Alonso. His 2015 fortunes have improved – he currently sits in fourth, only a spot behind teammate Sebastian Vettel – but he's been remarkably inconsistent, struggling with the SF15-T, a car that was specifically designed to work with his driving style. He only has a single podium this season, was forced to retire in Australia after a bad pitstop, and he crashed out of the most recent round in Austria. Clearly, Kimi should just stay away from races starting in "Austr." That advice may have come too late, though, as rumors are bubbling up that Ferrari may be swapping its Finns, dropping Raikkonen for his young countryman, Valtteri Bottas. Fox News, citing a report from Germany's Bild, claims Ferrari has made an offer to Bottas' current team, Williams, to secure his services. It doesn't sound like the British team will give him up all that easily, though. According to Fox, Williams enjoys a contractual "option" on the 25-year-old Finn's contract for next season, and that Ferrari would need to buy that contract out to steal him away. Bild claims the Italians have offered $4.4 million, but Williams' second-in-command, Claire Williams, wants nearly four times that. Ferrari has, rejected that figure, allegedly and unsurprisingly. Should the two sides come to a compromise, German and Sahara Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg seems to be the popular choice to take the open Williams seat, Fox is reporting. It's unclear where Raikkonen would end up next. And with that, we consider the 2015 Formula 1 silly season officially open.

Ferrari celebrates 70th anniversary on the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach

Ferrari is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, so it's no surprise that the legendary Italian automaker played a large part in the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this past weekend in the Monterey Peninsula. Four separate classes of Ferraris were featured including Grand Touring, Competition, Major Race Winners, and One-Offs. You can view the photos from the 18th fairway in the gallery above, or scroll down below to read about some of our favorites with descriptions courtesy of the Pebble Beach Concours Car Guide. 1958 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti Spyder Three Ferrari 335 Sport Spyders with V12, 4-liter engines were built in 1957 — and then Luigi Chinetti persuaded Enzo Ferrari to build one more. This Spyder (chassis 0764) was completed by Scaglietti at the end of 1958. It was first presented at the New York Auto Show and was soon nicknamed the "Super Testa Rossa." Alan Connell purchased the car and raced it at Road America, Watkins Glen, Daytona and Nassau in 1959 and 1960. Thereafter it was owned, driven and enjoyed by several different collectors, and in 1990 it was notably lent to Phil Hill to drive in the Mille Miglia Storica. The current owner acquired the Spyder in 2013. 1967 Ferrari 412 P Competizione To replace the successful Ferrari P3, the factory developed the intermediate 412 P race car — also known as the P3/4. Designed by Mauro Forghieri, the 412 P features an aluminum body that owes its shape to the Ferrari wind tunnel, and the car develops 420 bhp due to its 4-liter, V12 engine with six Weber carburetors. This 412 P (chassis 0850) was purchased by the Ecurie Nationale Belge team of Jacques Swaters, and it raced in bright yellow livery at various events in 1967 and 1968. It finished second overall at the 1,000-km Race at Montlhery in 1967, and it won the Cote de Condroz and Cote de la Roche Hill Climbs in 1968. The car was also entered in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona when Ferraris famously finished 1-2-3. After its racing days concluded at the end of 1968, the 412 P was converted to street use for Dean Martin, Jr. and was often seen on roads around Hollywood. It is shown here at Pebble Beach for the first time since being restored to its original racing specification. 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Scaglietta Spyder This Ferrari (chassis 0728) is one of the most famous of all Testa Rossas.