German GP 2010

JULY 25, 2010

Race Notes - Alonso leads Ferrari 1-2 to win German GP

Massa, Alonso, Vettel, German GP 2010
© The Cahier Archive

Fernando Alonso won the German Grand Prix, in Hockenheim, ahead of his Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa by 4.1 seconds, followed by Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull-Renault in third place, 5.1 seconds behind the leader.

After Massa took the lead at the start, there was controversy during the race when Massa backed off and let team leader Alonso through to take the lead on lap 48.

Lewis Hamilton (26.8s) in the McLaren-Mercedes finished in fourth, followed by his team mate Jenson Button (29.4s) in fifth, Mark Webber (43.6s) in the second Red Bull-Renault in sixth. The rest of the points finishers were 1 lap behind, with Robert Kubica in the Renault finishing seventh, Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes GP eighth, his team mate Michael Schumacher ninth, and the second Renault of Vitaly Petrov finishing in the final points position in tenth.

The victory is the second for Alonso this season, the first coming at the season opener at Bahrain, and the 23rd win of his career.

Before the start. the Force India of Adrian Sutil after gearbox trouble starts 19th, as well as the Virgins of Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, starting 23rd and 24th.

Vettel leads the field around from pole for the sixth time this season qualifying just ahead of Alonso by only two-thousandths of a second - the top ten qualifying on the softer tyre.

At the start Vettel tries to squeeze Alonso towards the pit wall, Massa, getting a fast start, runs through and takes the lead followed by Alonso and Vettel. On the first lap Hamilton passes Webber for fourth.

Into the hairpin Jaime Alguersuari runs into the back of his Toro Rosso team mate Sebastien Buemi, taking off his rear wing.

On the first lap the order is Massa, Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Webber, Button, Kubica, Schumacher, Rosberg and Kamui Kobayashi in tenth place.

Sutil pits for a new nose - Alguersuari, Buemi and Vitantonio Liuzzi pit. Buemi retires in the garage.

On lap 3 Jarno Trulli is pushed back into the garage. Sutil pits for a second time on lap 5, his team mate Liuzzi pits again the next lap.

At lap 10 Massa leads Alonso by 1.5 seconds, followed by Vettel (3.6s), Hamilton (7.5s), Webber (8.4s), Button (12.3s), Kubica (19.0s), Schumacher (19.8s), Rosberg (21.1s) and Kobayashi (21.9s) in tenth place.

Massa and Alonso continue to swap

On lap 12 Vettel pits from third place switching over to the harder tyres - he rejoins in sixth place.

Alonso pits from second place, and Webber from fourth place the next lap. The leader Massa, Hamilton, Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello pit the next lap on lap 14.

Button, yet to pit, leads Massa, Alonso and Vettel.

Kobayashi pits on lap 15. Kubica pits from fifth on lap 17 - he rejoins ahead of Schumacher in 11th place. The two battle, but Kubica keeps the position.

Button continues to run faster laps than his chasers on the soft tyres, still yet to pit, while Vettel edges closer to the two

At lap 20 Button leads Massa by 4.3 seconds, followed by Alonso (4.8s), Vettel (6.1s), Hamilton (14.8s), Rosberg (17.1s), Webber (17.5s), Petrov (20.2s), Nico Hulkenberg (22.9s) and Pedro de la Rosa (30.3s) in tenth place.

On lap 21 Alonso gets a run but Massa keeps the lead. Vettel is

On lap 22 Button pits from the lead and rejoins in fifth place behind his team mate Hamilton. Petrov pits on the next lap. Rosberg pits from seventh place on lap 24, rejoining ahead of his team mate Schumacher.

Massa puts in a number of fast laps and pulls out a 3 second lead on his team mate - the Ferraris lapping half a second faster than Vettel and the others. Petrov battles with Schumacher for 11th place.

At lap 30 Massa leads Alonso by 3.2 seconds followed by Vettel (6.4s), Hamilton (15.4s), Button (17.0s), Webber (17.8s), Hulkenberg (36.3s), De la Rosa (40.5s), Kubica (43.2s) and Rosberg (44.0s) in tenth place.

Webber starts to close on Button in fifth place, while Alonso is closing the gap on Massa for the lead, while Vettel is slowly dropping behind.

On lap 35 Hulkenberg pits from 10th place.

On lap 38 Hamilton is being told by his team to conserve fuel.

At lap 40 Massa continues to lead Alonso by 1.2 seconds, followed by Vettel (6.6s), Hamilton (18.1s), Button (19.6s), Webber (24.1s), De la Rosa (52.6s), Kubica (55.5s), Rosberg (57.6s) and Schumacher (59.0s) in tenth place.

Sutil, switching to softer tyres, sets the fastest lap. Webber is told by his team to back away from Button. Vettel responds with the fastest lap on lap 43 - still nearly seven seconds behind the leader. Alonso closes within a second of Massa.

Webber is told that there is a problem with oil consumption on his Red Bull.

On lap 48, the Ferrari team tells Massa that Alonso is quicker than him. Later in the lap, out of the hairpin, Massa lets Alonso past into the lead.

At lap 50 Alonso now leads Massa by 1.4 seconds, followed by Vettel (4.8s), Hamilton (22.8s), Button (24.7s), Webber (30.8s), De la Rosa (63.3s), Kubica (65.0s), Rosberg (67.4s) and Schumacher (68.7s) in tenth place.

On lap 51 De la Rosa pits from eighth place - his only stop of the race. Di Grassi spins at the first corner, but continues.

On lap 53 De la Rosa passes Hulkenberg for 13th place. Di Grassi retires in the pitlane.

On lap 54 Glock makes his only pitstop, and is the final runner to stop.

Vettel edges closer to Massa for second place. De la Rosa and Heikki Kovalainen touch in traffic - the Sauber driver pits for a new nose.

Petrov is told by his team that he is not shifting into seventh gear early enough.

At lap 60 Alonso leads Massa by 3.8 seconds, followed by Vettel (4.9s), Hamilton (24.7s), Button (26.1s), Webber (36.5s), Kubica (71.6s), Rosberg (1 lap), Schumacher (1 lap) and Petrov (1 lap) in tenth place.

Kovalainen in the Lotus retires in the pits. McLaren tells Hamilton that he no longer needs to save fuel. Button runs wide on the first corner but continues.

Alonso continues to set fast laps. Vettel takes the fastest lap on the final lap of the race, but Alonso takes the flag first ahead of his Ferrari team mate.