Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel won an action-packed Hungarian Grand Prix for the first time on Sunday, while Nico Rosberg blew his chances of catching lewis Hamilton in the title race when he punctured a tire near the end.
Four-time F1 champion Vettel started third on the grid. It was his 41st career win and first since the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Red Bull took advantage of late chaos as Russian driver Daniil Kvyat placed second and Ricciardo, who clipped Rosberg, took third.
Vettel’s win put the German driver back into the title race, as Hamilton finished sixth and Rosberg placed eighth.
“Merci Jules, cette victoire est pour toi,” (Thank you Jules, this win is for you),” Vettel said in French on race radio, before continuing in English. “You are always in our hearts, sooner or later we know you would have been in this team.”
A poignant minute’s silence was held in honor of Bianchi before the race, with drivers forming a ring and placing their race helmets on the ground. Bianchi’s mother Christine and father Philippe, brother Tom and sister Melanie joined them as they all linked arms on the grid.
The race completely changed after German driver Nico Hulkenberg crashed and the virtual safety car came out, with Vettel in total control at that point.
With five laps to go and Hamilton well out of contention, Rosberg was catching Vettel. But Ricciardo — the winner here last year — tried a daring overtaking move and instead ran into the back of the German driver, puncturing his left tire.
Instead of gaining points from Hamilton, Rosberg slipped further back in the title race.
It is the first time Hamilton has failed to finish on the podium since the Belgian GP last August, where he was nudged off the track by Rosberg and retired.
Starting from pole position for the ninth time in 10 races this season, and 47th overall, Hamilton got away cleanly the first time. But the race was re-started because Brazilian driver Felipe Massa was out of position on the grid.
When they restarted, Hamilton got stuck as Rosberg surged past him. With the two Ferraris surging up behind them, the four jostled for position going into the first corner.
Vettel got ahead as Hamilton dropped behind, and Raikkonen then got on the inside of Rosberg, prompting delirious scenes in the Ferrari garage as mechanics jumped up and down. Worse was to come for Hamilton, who suddenly found his racing line impeded by Rosberg and went off into the gravel on the side, tumbling down the leaderboard.
Ricciardo, the winner here last year, made a poor start and bumped into the Williams of Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas.
Meanwhile, Hamilton was pushing his brakes to the limit as he clawed his way back from 10th, passing Massa with a brilliant overtaking move right on the outside and then setting his sights on Mexican driver Sergio Perez.
Everything changed following Hulkenberg’s crash. Hulkenberg’s car locked up and went off track into a crash barrier. The German driver was unhurt as his Force India car was towed away by a crane.
Moving tribute TO Bianchi
Formula One’s leading drivers paid a final formal tribute to their colleague Jules Bianchi during a minute’s silence ahead of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the mid-season break. Standing in a closed circle, arms across backs and shoulders to include each man and Bianchi’s family, they laid their own helmets on the ground.
The helmet of Jules Bianchi, who died on July 17 from injuries sustained when he crashed into a recovery vehicle in torrential rain at last October Japanese Grand Prix, was laid alongside them.