Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg each highlighted the world champion's lightning start as crucial to his Hungarian Grand Prix victory.

Rosberg started Sunday's race on pole, but ended lap one behind his team-mate, who cruised to a record fifth win at the Hungaroring to take the lead in the drivers' standings for the first time in 2016.

Hamilton's only slight panic came when he reported a lack of pace in the middle part of the race, but he quickly found his feet on soft tyres to keep Rosberg at arm's length.

"In the race, the start was everything," Hamilton said on the podium.

"I had one of the Red Bulls by the side of me, so I was struggling quite a lot into turn one, but the team did a fantastic job with the strategy and preparing the car.

"A huge thanks to the team, this is a great result for us."

Rosberg was briefly third after the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo got off the line in swift fashion, but the German heads to his home race next weekend having won only once in six races.

"It was all down to the start," Rosberg commented.

"I lost out a little bit and then into turn one, with Daniel on the outside and Lewis on the inside, I ran out of space and had to bail out of it, and that was it really.

"I was happy to take Daniel back at turn two, and from there I was trying to put all the pressure possible on Lewis, but of course it's not possible to pass on this track."