Vettel a danger to Mercedes - Häkkinen

Vettel, who also triumphed in Malaysia, moved to within 42 points of the championship lead, after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg came home sixth and eighth respectively.

With nine races remaining, and a potential 225 points up for grabs, two-time World Champion Häkkinen believes that Vettel has the ability to make it a three-way fight.

"Vettel is a danger, because the season is only half way, and there are still a large number of points at stake," commented Häkkinen in his post-Hungary blog for Hermes.

"Vettel is driving extremely well. His performances are top notch."

Häkkinen says it was "a miracle" that Hamilton's championship advantage was not reduced further at the Hungaroring, after a race of off-track excursions, collisions and penalties.

"Lewis' race went wrong from the start," Häkkinen went on to explain.

"The part where Lewis went into the gravel is really difficult, especially on the first lap of the race. The braking point on the first lap is a little bit different, due to the hustle and bustle.

"There is not a lot of room and Lewis lost a lot of places. He had to make multiple stops and also had some contact with other drivers – it's a miracle that he finished the race."

Vettel himself has not ruled out fighting for the title after victory in Hungary.