LEWIS HAMILTON will have to wait for his 100th victory in F1 – but the result will feel as sweet as his previous 99 wins.

It was a simply stunning comeback from the world champion after being denied a win after a stupendous cock-up from his Mercedes team in what was one of the sport’s most thrilling races in it’s 71-year history.

Hamilton avoided a first-lap smash caused by his teammate Valtteri Bottas that saw the race suspended, but title rival Max Verstappen was not so fortunate.

While the Dutchman limped home in tenth place with a damaged car, Hamilton made the podium despite running in last place following a strategy blunder as he formed a bizarre one-car grid for the restart.

Hamilton ultimately finished the race in third – but was later bumped up to second after Sebastian Vettel was disqualified for a fuel violation.

Hamilton, who was again booed by the Verstappen fans, said: “Today was definitely tough, we always make it difficult for ourselves.

“It’s crazy to think we were the only ones on the grid at the start but these things happen, and we learn from them. I gave it everything, and I had nothing left at the end.

“I was telling the team how the track was through the lap (before race restart) but they said rain was coming when I got back in the car, so I thought they had other information. I then saw everyone diving in (to the pits)…

“We came in this weekend and didn’t know how it was going to go, and considering the circumstances today I’ll take it.”

HAMILTON BACK ON TOP

His podium behind winner Esteban Ocon has seen the Brit return to the top of the championship, leapfrogging Verstappen.

But boy did he have to do it the hard way, after being dropped to last place following a strategy disaster when Merc failed to pit him for slick tyres for the restart after Bottas’s smash caused a 25-minute red flag.

The pre-race build-up was Hamilton’s simmering feud with Verstappen, a rivalry that has exploded their fight for the title.

And here at the Hungaroring the drama unfolded in spectacular style to add to what is becoming a thrilling season.

A short shower before the start did the trick to spice this race up as first Hamilton’s teammate Bottas made a terrible error that looks to have hammered the final nail into his Mercedes career.

The Finn was already destined for the axe and any thoughts about offering him a new deal should quickly be dismissed after his first lap blunder.

He looked like he was stuck in mud as he was leapfrogged by Lando Norris and Verstappen off the start line.

Once he did build up enough speed, he couldn’t stop as he slammed into the back of Norris’s McLaren.

The Brit was helpless as he thudded his car into Verstappen, causing serious damage to both their cars – for Norris it proved terminal.

But still Bottas wasn’t done as he made it a double Red Bull and punted into Sergio Perez for good measure, sending the Mexican out of the race too.

At that point on lap one, it was advantage Hamilton as Bottas had again proved to be the perfect “wingman” albeit not intentionally.

He was the race leader, his car was undamaged and his rivals were either out of the race or damaged.

ALL ALONE AT RESTART

But following a delay to clean up the wreckage, at the restart, Hamilton was left to form the most strangest one-car grid as his rivals all chose to pit for slicks, while he lined up alone on intermediate tyres.

He was a sitting duck and he knew it, as Merc failed to call him in for fresh tyres on the bone-dry track – unlike every remaining car in this race.

His lead lasted for a lap as he then pitted for slicks, demoting him to 14th place – the final place of the remaining runners.

Down, but he was definitely not out.

While Hamilton kept his cool, Verstappen – albeit with a car held together with duck tape after being clattered by Bottas – banged wheels in frustration with Mick Schumacher as he sat marooned at the back.

And when Hamilton got the jump on both Verstappen and Schumacher by taking an early pitstop he set about slicing his way through the field.

ALONSO BATTLE

This was vintage Hamilton as he passed George Russell, the man tipped to replace Bottas at Mercedes.

Then Nicholas Latifi. Then Yuki Tsunoda. By lap 32 he was already back up to fifth.

He couldn’t, could he?

He started eating into the deficit as he relentlessly darted past back-markers to close in on Carlos Sainz.

His disadvantage dropped. At lap 26, he was 40 seconds behind the leader. By lap 36, he’d closed it to 33 seconds.

And once the cars in front had pitted for fresh tyres on lap 47, Esteban Ocon’s lead was just seven seconds.

Hamilton’s final pit stop on lap 48 doubled the Frenchman’s lead as Hamilton was geed-up by Merc boss Toto Wolff over the team’s radio telling him, “Lewis, we can win this!”

There was still more drama in store as the spectators lapped up Hamilton’s fight with old foe Fernando Alonso for fourth place.

Alonso, celebrating his 40th birthday, showed all his class and his experience as he traded blows with Hamilton for position.

It was heart-in-the-mouth stuff as Hamilton was denied an overtake on SEVEN separate attempts.

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Ultimately, the Spaniard’s brilliance to hold up his former McLaren team-mate enough to scupper Hamilton’s chances of the unlikeliest of victories.

Finally, he got the move done on Lap 65 before he passed Sainz for a place on the podium, while he was unable to catch Vettel.

Nonetheless, it was a thrilling fightback as the sport heads for a summer break before returning for the Belgium and Netherlands GPs, where Verstappen will be out for revenge.