Lewis Hamilton says he will use his victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix as the launch pad for a concerted challenge to win back the drivers' crown next year.

Having gone 10 races without an official podium finish, the Briton has no chance of retaining his title despite yesterday's drive, in which he left Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Webber trailing in second and third places respectively.

But the manner in which McLaren have transformed a car, which was virtually uncontrollable earlier in the season, into a winner has given Hamilton hope for the future.

He said: “It is important that we continue to push. We want to come back next year with the best possible chance of winning the championship, so we need to keep working and understand everything to help us make a good foundation for next season.

“Clearly we have a good car now. We have made some serious improvements and now it is much better balanced.”

Alas, Jenson Button could not express the same sentiments about his Brawn GP, which has lost pace just as quickly as McLaren have gained it.

After trailing home seventh, Button's lead in the title chase is down to 18.5 points with seven races to go.

Updates on the Brawn GP haven't worked, and Button said: “Our car is not driving as it has done, so there is obviously an issue, and the other teams have improved their cars. The Red Bull is a lot quicker, and McLaren, Ferrari and Williams have stepped up their game. But our car is not what it was to drive a few races ago.”