Hamilton triumphs ahead of Alonso and Webber
Lewis Hamilton achieved victory at the German Grand Prix after holding an exciting battle with Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, who both completed the podium. The fight between these three drivers lasted the whole race, including managing to exchange positions and racing each other almost to the line. Felipe Massa also had a great duel with Sebastian Vettel, who overtook him during the last lap pit stops, leading them to finish in fourth and fifth position.
Positive aggression
Lewis Hamilton's aggressive driving style was decisive in his fight to win the Santander German Grand Prix, since in a very close fight that style is the most appropriate one for true wheel-to-wheel combat. This driving style, so often damaging for the tyres, was not on this occasion, since the low track temperatures allowed him to go flat out without risking a puncture.
The improvement of the Ferrari F150º Italia
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa's great races clearly demonstrated that the Ferrari F150 Italia has visibly improved, as the evidence of good results in recent Grands Prix has proved. In the last five races Alonso has achieved three second places and the Silverstone victory, which signifies that the car is now competitive on any type of circuit, even on those which require downforce.
An unlucky wheel nut
Felipe Massa's race was impeccable. Blocked at the start by Rosberg, he was able to exploit a mistake by Vettel to put himself ahead of the German, keeping him behind him for almost the whole race, including two stops to change the soft tyres. The requirement to take on hard tyres led them to both make the compulsory stop on the last lap, entering the pits at the same time. One of Massa's wheel nuts made him lose time and a position which he had earned by himself on the track.
Two consecutive zeros
Since his victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, Jensen Button has not achieved good results, and at Nurburgring he added a second consecutive retirement. If at Silverstone it was a failed wheel change which put an end to his race, in Germany it was a hydraulic fault. The British driver was trying to complete the distance making a stop fewer than his rivals, but the breakdown in the middle of the race prevented him from taking any benefit from his effort.
Driving errors
It is not normal to see the great champions making driving errors, but the track conditions were so precarious due to the cold temperature not warming the tyres, that even the best drivers in the world made mistakes: Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher each had spins, and Fernando Alonso had a small excursion from the track. That led Alonso to be overtaken by Sebastian Vettel at the beginning of the race, although the Ferrari driver was able to recover the position, overtaking the German a little later.
Sutil, the best of the rest
After the three big teams the highest classified was Adrian Sutil, driving a magnificent race in which he overtook Rosberg and Schumacher, the two Mercedes drivers, to finish in sixth position, the team's best position of the season so far. Besides the success of the result, Sutil was the second best German, which at his home Grand Prix doubtless brought added satisfaction. Kobayashi and Petrov were classified behind Schumacher, completing the top 10 positions.
Without fuel at the end
One of the unusual images of the Santander German Grand Prix occurred at the end of the race, when Fernando Alonso reached the limit of his fuel consumption and had to stop his Ferrari on the track so that there would be sufficient fuel in his car to be tested by the Technical Inspectors. This made him return to the pits as a passenger on Mark Webber's Red Bull, an amusing image which emulates that of Mansell and Senna at Silverstone in 1991.
Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna
The return of the McLarens
The controversy generated by the constant changes of regulations regarding the exhausts had especially damaged McLaren. The return to the rules prior to Silverstone has put the Woking brand back into the leading positions, and they are again in a fight with Ferrari to try to dethrone Red Bull. Red Bull once more won poll, however Hamilton was only a tenth of a second behind Webber, and Alonso only two tenths of a second behind Vettel.
Forecast of rain
The forecast of rain is very high for the Santander German Grand Prix, providing one more factor of uncertainty for the race. On a wet track it is better to start from the "dirty" part (even-numbered positions) since the mix of rubber and water provides more grip. In these conditions, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will have an opportunity to beat the Red Bulls as long as the race doesn't start under the safety car. If it does, then Jensen Button will be one of the favourites, as he is a great specialist in the wet.
