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BUDAPEST, Hungary - Jenson Button marked his 200th Grand Prix with a reminder of his class on Sunday when he drove his McLaren to a stirring victory in a chaotic and incident-filled 2011Hungarian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The 31-year-old Briton, who started third on the grid, made the most of some wretched ill-fortune for his team mate and compatriot Lewis Hamilton in changing wet-dry-wet-dry conditions to record his second win of the year and the eleventh of his career.
"It's a great moment, all round a major weekend. For some rason I like these conditions," said Button of the slippery track.
Back on the circuit where he claimed his first F1 win in 2006, for Honda, Button revelled in the demanding circumstances. Given a celebratory cake before the race on Saturday, he ate it with relish.
HAMILTON'S ERRORS
Hamilton, having started second, led for long periods after taking early control, but was caught out by a succession of strategic errors - when he chose the wrong tyres in rapidly-changing weather - and a harsh stewards' decision to give him a drive-through penalty after he forced Paul Di Resta off the track.
"The better man won today," said Hamilton.
"The team have done a fantastic job. It's a fantastic way to go into the (summer) break. We would have liked a one-two, I let the team down a little bit but we will be back."
Hamilton, who had spun in the sudden rain and then rejoined rapidly in front of oncoming traffic, ended up finishing fourth behind a triumphant Button, second-placed German Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and double champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.
DISAPPOINTMENT FOR VETTEL
For Vettel, although it was disappointing not to win again, his second place was enough for him to increase his lead in the drivers' title race as his nearest rivals finished behind him.
Australian Mark Webber finished fifth in the second Red Bull ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari with impressive British rookie Di Resta seventh for Force India.
This meant that the young Scot, in his first season, was the leading Mercedes powered runner in the race as he came home ahead of Swiss Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso, German Nico Rosberg in the leading Mercedes car and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso.
Seven-times champion German Michael Schumacher, 42, was forced to retire in his Mercedes with gearbox problems.
RACE RESULTS: HUNGARIAN FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX
1 Jenson Button McLaren 1hr46min42.337
2 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull +3.588
3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari +19.819
4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren) +48.338
5 Mark Webber Red Bull +49.742
6 Felipe Massa Ferrari +1min23.176
7 Paul di Resta Force India +1 lap
8 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso +1 lap
9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP +1 lap
10 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso +1 lap
11 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber +1 lap
12 Vitaly Petrov Lotus-Renault +1 lap
13 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1 +2 laps
14 Adrian Sutil Force India +2 laps
15 Sergio Perez Sauber +2 laps
16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 +2 laps
17 Timo Glock Virgin Racing +4 laps
18 Daniel Ricciardo Hispania +4 laps
19 Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin Racing +5 laps
20 Vitantonio Liuzzi Hispania +5 laps
Retirements
Jarno Trulli Lotus: mechanical problem 18th lap
Nick Heidfeld Lotus-Renault: 24th lap
Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP: mechanical problem 27th lap
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus: mechanical problem 56th lap
Overall standings
Drivers
1 Sebastian Vettel (GER) 216pts
2 Mark Webber (AUS) 139
3 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 134
4 Fernando Alonso (ESP) 130
5 Jenson Button (GBR) 109
6 Felipe Massa (BRA) 62
7 Nico Rosberg (GER) 46
8 Nick Heidfeld (GER) 34
9 Vitaly Petrov (RUS) 32
10 Michael Schumacher (GER) 32
11 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) 27
12 Adrian Sutil (GER) 18
13 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) 9
14 Sergio Perez (MEX) 8
15 Sebastien Buemi (SWI) 8
16 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) 4
17 Paul di Resta (SCO) 2
Constructors
1 Red Bull 355pts
2 McLaren 243
3 Ferrari 192
4 Mercedes GP 78
5 Lotus-Renault 66
6 Sauber 35
7 Force India 20
8 Toro Rosso 17
9 Williams F1 4
The 31-year-old Briton, who started third on the grid, made the most of some wretched ill-fortune for his team mate and compatriot Lewis Hamilton in changing wet-dry-wet-dry conditions to record his second win of the year and the eleventh of his career.
"It's a great moment, all round a major weekend. For some rason I like these conditions," said Button of the slippery track.
Back on the circuit where he claimed his first F1 win in 2006, for Honda, Button revelled in the demanding circumstances. Given a celebratory cake before the race on Saturday, he ate it with relish.
HAMILTON'S ERRORS
Hamilton, having started second, led for long periods after taking early control, but was caught out by a succession of strategic errors - when he chose the wrong tyres in rapidly-changing weather - and a harsh stewards' decision to give him a drive-through penalty after he forced Paul Di Resta off the track.
"The better man won today," said Hamilton.
"The team have done a fantastic job. It's a fantastic way to go into the (summer) break. We would have liked a one-two, I let the team down a little bit but we will be back."
Hamilton, who had spun in the sudden rain and then rejoined rapidly in front of oncoming traffic, ended up finishing fourth behind a triumphant Button, second-placed German Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and double champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.
DISAPPOINTMENT FOR VETTEL
For Vettel, although it was disappointing not to win again, his second place was enough for him to increase his lead in the drivers' title race as his nearest rivals finished behind him.
Australian Mark Webber finished fifth in the second Red Bull ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari with impressive British rookie Di Resta seventh for Force India.
This meant that the young Scot, in his first season, was the leading Mercedes powered runner in the race as he came home ahead of Swiss Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso, German Nico Rosberg in the leading Mercedes car and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso.
Seven-times champion German Michael Schumacher, 42, was forced to retire in his Mercedes with gearbox problems.
RACE RESULTS: HUNGARIAN FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX
1 Jenson Button McLaren 1hr46min42.337
2 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull +3.588
3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari +19.819
4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren) +48.338
5 Mark Webber Red Bull +49.742
6 Felipe Massa Ferrari +1min23.176
7 Paul di Resta Force India +1 lap
8 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso +1 lap
9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP +1 lap
10 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso +1 lap
11 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber +1 lap
12 Vitaly Petrov Lotus-Renault +1 lap
13 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1 +2 laps
14 Adrian Sutil Force India +2 laps
15 Sergio Perez Sauber +2 laps
16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 +2 laps
17 Timo Glock Virgin Racing +4 laps
18 Daniel Ricciardo Hispania +4 laps
19 Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin Racing +5 laps
20 Vitantonio Liuzzi Hispania +5 laps
Retirements
Jarno Trulli Lotus: mechanical problem 18th lap
Nick Heidfeld Lotus-Renault: 24th lap
Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP: mechanical problem 27th lap
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus: mechanical problem 56th lap
Overall standings
Drivers
1 Sebastian Vettel (GER) 216pts
2 Mark Webber (AUS) 139
3 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 134
4 Fernando Alonso (ESP) 130
5 Jenson Button (GBR) 109
6 Felipe Massa (BRA) 62
7 Nico Rosberg (GER) 46
8 Nick Heidfeld (GER) 34
9 Vitaly Petrov (RUS) 32
10 Michael Schumacher (GER) 32
11 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) 27
12 Adrian Sutil (GER) 18
13 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) 9
14 Sergio Perez (MEX) 8
15 Sebastien Buemi (SWI) 8
16 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) 4
17 Paul di Resta (SCO) 2
Constructors
1 Red Bull 355pts
2 McLaren 243
3 Ferrari 192
4 Mercedes GP 78
5 Lotus-Renault 66
6 Sauber 35
7 Force India 20
8 Toro Rosso 17
9 Williams F1 4