German GP 2011

JULY 24, 2011

Race Notes - Lewis Hamilton wins German GP

Lewis Hamilton, German GP 2011
© The Cahier Archive

Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring today in the McLaren-Mercedes, 3.9 seconds over Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari in second, and 9.7 seconds over Mark Webber in the Red Bull-Renault in third place.

The win is Hamilton's second of the season, the 16th victory of his career, and McLaren's third win of the season. With the win Hamilton jumps ahead of Alonso to move to third in the Championship - Sebastian Vettel now leads with 216 points over Webber with 139, Hamilton with 134, Alonso with 130, and Jenson Button with 109. Red Bull leads the Constructors Championship with 355 points over McLaren with 243, Ferrari 192, Mercedes 78 and Renault with 66 points.

Vettel (47.9s), suffering from brake problems in his Red Bull finished in fourth place, followed by Felipe Massa (52.2s) in the Ferrari in fifth, Adrian Sutil (86.2s) in the Force India-Mercedes in sixth, Nico Rosberg (1 lap) in the Mercedes GP in seventh, his team mate Michael Schumacher in eighth, Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber-Ferrari in ninth, and Vitaly Petrov in the Renault in the final points paying position.

Before the start of the race sprinkles of rain started to fall, along with the cool temperatures. Vettel starting off the front row for the first time in fourteen races. The drivers leaving the grid on dry tyres - the top ten starters on soft tyres. Pole-sitter Mark Webber leading the field away.

Sebastian Buemi starts last after a fuel irregularity was found after qualifying.

Hamilton gets a fast start off the line and takes the lead from Webber, Alonso getting ahead of Vettel. Paul Di Resta spins with assistance from Nick Heidfeld at turn 3. At the end of the first lap Hamilton leads Webber, Alonso, Vettel, Rosberg, Massa, Sutil, Petrov, Schumacher and Button.

On lap 2 Alonso runs wide and Vettel takes third place. Hamilton pulls out a two second lead over the Red Bulls. Ferrari urges Massa that he is faster than Rosberg and needs to get past him.

On lap 5 Webber sets fastest lap at 1m37.6s, the rain holding off so far. Massa pressuring Rosberg, Alonso pressuring Vettel. Hamilton's lead closing to 1.2 seconds.

On lap 8 Alonso passes Vettel under braking into the first corner, taking back third place.

On lap 9 Sergio Perez pits. Di Resta passes Heikki Kovalainen.

Vettel has a high speed spin under braking, spinning on the white line and runs wide but continues - falling back to the Rosberg, Massa battle.

At lap 10 Hamilton leads Webber by 0.7 seconds, followed by Alonso (2.5s), Vettel (12.1s), Rosberg (13.4s), Massa (13.7s), Sutil (16.1s), Schumacher (17.6s), Petrov (20.0s) and Button (20.4s) is tenth.

On lap 11 Heidfeld tries to pass Buemi on the outside under braking, the two touch and Heidfeld flies off the road, ending his day in the gravel trap.

On lap 12 Massa passes Rosberg into the first corner, taking fifth place.

On lap 13, Hamilton is a bit slow out of the chicane and Webber dives down the inside into the final corner and passes him for the lead. Hamilton charges back and re-passes Webber into the first corner. Alonso closes in on the pair.

Massa closes on Vettel.

On lap 15 Webber and Rosberg pit. Webber rejoins fifth. Button challenging Petrov for ninth place. Schumacher and Pastor Maldonado pit the next lap.

On lap 16 Massa passes Vettel, who immediately pits, Hamilton and Alonso pit and rejoin nose-to-tail, right behind Massa and Webber, battling for the lead.

On lap 18 Massa pits from the lead, rejoining just ahead of Vettel. Webber leads Hamilton, Alonso, Sutil, Button, Petrov. Kobayashi, Massa and Vettel. More spots of rain falling.

On lap 20 Massa passes Kobayashi for seventh place - Vettel follows him through.

At lap 20, Webber leads Hamilton by 1.1 seconds, followed by Alonso (2.4s), Sutil (11.1s), Button (15.4s), Petrov (21.7s), Massa (22.0s), Vettel (22.6s), Rosberg (24.7s) and Schumacher (27.0s) runs in tenth.

On lap 21 Kobayashi pits.

On lap 22 Massa passes Petrov for sixth place - Vettel passes him the next corner. Rosberg and Schumacher now pressuring Petrov.

On lap 23 Rosberg and Schumacher pass Petrov in the DRS zone. Sutil pits from fourth place.

On lap 24 Schumacher spins, but continues - dropping back to 11th. Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Di Resta pit - Button in fourth is the only driver not to make a stop.

On lap 25 Button pits for another set of soft tyres - one a two stop strategy. Webber leads Hamilton by 1.4 seconds, followed right behind by Alonso who sets fastest lap at 1m36.2s. Jerome d'Ambrosio pits.

On lap 27 Red Bull radios Vettel warning him that he might be having a problem with his rear brakes. Kovalainen pits the next lap. Button closes on Sutil.

On lap 30 Webber pits from the lead, the first to make his second stop. Karun Chandhok spins but continues.

On lap 31 Hamilton pits, and rejoins right in front of Webber - the two battle, Webber trying to pass on the outside of turn 2, but Hamilton stays ahead. Button passes Sutil for seventh.

Alonso pits the next lap, coming out in front of Hamilton and Webber. Alonso struggles for grip on cold tyres and Hamilton passes him around the outside of turn 2.

On lap 35 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m35.2s. Hamilton leads Alonso by 2.7 seconds - Webber 2.5 seconds further back. Button passes Rosberg for sixth place.

Hamilton lowers the fast lap to 1m35.0s. Button pulls into the garage and retires with hydraulic problems. Maldonado pits. Rosberg pits the next lap for soft tyres. Buemi and Schumacher pit.

On lap 39 Rosberg passes Kobayashi for seventh, but Kobayashi comes back at retakes the position. Vitantonio Liuzzi pits and retires.

Rosberg passes Kobayashi the next lap into the first corner.

At lap 40 Hamilton leads Alonso by 2.8 seconds, followed by Webber (7.5s), Massa (22.9s), Vettel (26.2s), Sutil (45.6s), Rosberg (67.8s), Kobayashi (70.1s), Petrov (77.7s) and Perez (81.9s) in tenth place.

On lap 40 Vettel pits from fifth for a set of soft tyres. Schumacher passes Alguersuari for 11th place.

On lap 41 Massa pits from fourth place, rejoining ahead of Vettel. Perez pits.

On lap 44 Red Bull radios Vettel that his brakes are now okay. Alguersuari pits.

The leaders are all trying to run as long as possible on the soft tyres before having to switch to the harder tyres at the end of the race - as they are reportedly 1.5 seconds slower a lap.

Massa runs through the grass at the chicane, but continues.

On lap 46 Schumacher makes a run on Petrov in the chicane, Petrov runs through the escape road and stays ahead. Schumacher passes Petrov into the first corner to take ninth place.

On lap 47 Vettel sets fastest lap at 1m34.5s.

On lap 48 Petrov pits and takes on the harder tyres - the other teams will be following his lap times closely.

On lap 49 Vettel closes in on Massa. Sutil pits from sixth place. Kobayashi pits as well.

At lap 50 Hamilton leads Alonso by 2.0 seconds, followed by Webber (7.3s), Massa (4.3s), Vettel (44.0s), Rosberg (79.6s), Sutil (83.9s), Schumacher (93.2s), Di Resta (1 lap) and Kobayashi in tenth place.

On lap 51 Hamilton pits from the lead, taking on hard tyres.

On lap 53 Alonso pits from the lead, rejoining behind Hamilton. Vettel battling Massa for fourth place.

On lap 54 Rosberg pits from sixth. Webber stays out to try to make time on Hamilton, but runs a slower lap than the McLaren.

On lap 57 Webber pits from the lead, rejoining in third.

On lap 58 Schumacher makes his final stop. Massa and Vettel in a battle still need to pit for hard tyres before the finish.

On lap 59 Massa and Vettel both pit - Vettel has a quicker stop and gets out in front of the Ferrari to take fourth.

Hamilton takes the win over Alonso and Webber. On the cool down Alonso runs out of fuel and stops on the side of the track - Webber picks up Alonso and gives him a lift back to the pits.