Well there we have it, we did manage to go an entire session without some form of rain interruption, a start contrast to the past few days where storms have been a recurring factor. We escaped the rain here in little old England but so too on the continent, which this time didn't really harm the spectacle as we were in for a decent race. The track demonstrating that it can be entertaining despite being visually rather dull and uninspiring, but it was the design of the track which has lead to a little bought of controversy towards the end of the race. I knew this plague of excessive concrete run-offs would be more problematic than it would be beneficial. Personally don't understand why there is no boundary of grass between the edge of the track and the extra tarmac. That way drivers could run off and rejoin without a problem, no unnecessary retirements would be caused and additionally no-one would gain an advantage from running wide. Hockenheim has always had problems with cars running wide in the fast corners, and in the hairpin - to the point where on occasion tyre bundles have been placed on the outside of turn one for other races.
The change from wet to dry across the weekend did see fortunes and pace change throughout the field, widening the range of competitors at the front and making the competition in the mid-field very close. Where there is close competition there is room for great battles and inventive overtaking, and we certainly had some of that, bounded with an impressive lack of contact between drivers. Even Maldonado was on his best behaviour, not that the Williams was that competitive on race day in the dry, as other drivers came forward. What was also rather interesting was the lack of attrition for the race, no-one retired from contact or mechanical problems, in fact there was only one retirement overall - but I shall get to that later. As with the last race report there is a matter of an Indycar race cropping up so should get a move on.
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| credit to F1Fanatic.co.uk |
Yesterday the climate was definitely questionable, but on activating the coverage today seeing blue skies and dry tarmac was no great surprise. What was interesting however at the time I managed to escape the cocoon in which I sleep, was Christian Horner having words with the FIA - regrading an emerging issue regarding some questionable engine mapping. The current theory is that Red Bull are using an engine setting to act as a form of traction control on their car, the FIA have stated that this is not an acceptable practice, but the regulations don't prevent it. Therefore as per the rule book, they are not doing anything technically wrong, so we can expect those rules to be modified at the end of the summer break after Hungary next week. Making it two issues that Red Bull and the stewards will be contemplating for a while this weekend, but onto the race.
The grid had been reshaped yet more following qualifying with One-Stop Perez being handed a 5-place grid drop for impeding other drivers in the second part of qualifying and therefore was relegated down to 17th. Bringing the total of penalised drivers up to four, only one of which was for driving standards. At least for the beginning of this session I had timed the consumption breakfast (not that food at 1pm could really be considered breakfast) meaning I was in place for the start. And at that start it was the Ferrari's that made a strong initial getaway, a little too quickly for Felipe as he drove straight into the back of the Torro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo. Sending Massa's front wing floating through the along with many shards of carbon fibre littering the track, surprisingly Ricciardo avoided a puncture which is so often the case with wing to wheel contact. Other than that the start was clean and free of contact - for the first three corners anyway. It was the turn of Romain Grosjean to encounter difficulties, running up to the back of a damaged Massa faster than he anticipated chipping half of his front wing in the process, seeing him skate off down at the hairpin.
Further up front Vettel and Schumacher duelled through the opening lap, two wide into the hairpin and defending a second challenge towards the Mercedes Arena. As the cars returned at the start of the second lap they were greeted by a lake of debris in turn one from Massa's wing, questions were raised as to whether the safety car should have been deployed in case of shards causing punctures. Fortunately everyone managed to navigate the field of shrapnel on the first encounter, but it was on the second time round where it would affect the race. Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus was running quickly and had caught up to the back of Lewis Hamilton, and had a look to the inside turn one - that meant Hamilton took a slightly wider line and into the debris fields. This excursion resulted in the McLaren picking up a rear puncture and dropping to the back of the field - Lewis came on the radio claiming they needed to retire the car, but through the advances in modern technology it turns out tyres can be changed. Allowing Hamilton to continue albeit in last place.
With Hamilton now out of the way Raikkonen was now heading towards the next car in his sights, the Force India of Paul Di Resta. Paul had the end of the DRS zone covered defending into the hairpin, but that wasn't going to discourage the Finn, as Kimi went to the outside cutting back to the inside on the exit. Running two wide on the way down the straight and still two wide millimetres apart through the entrance to the Mercedes Arena. At the point where you'd think Di Resta had done enough to keep the position, Raikkonen managed to go round the outside of the Mercedes Arena to take the place away in one of the best overtaking manoeuvres of the day. There were position changes in place for the other of the Force India cars, as Button was on the charge towards the front, finally gaining some form after some challenging races this season - lining up Nico Hulkenberg. Jenson threw the car down the inside from quite some distance back at the hairpin, almost surprising Nico in the process at the apex.
Button wasn't done yet, and was driving towards another German, this time the target was the slightly more successful Michael oh Sch...umacher in the Mercedes, but the extra experience wasn't going to stop Jenson's early charge. In an almost identical manoeuvre into the hairpin Button went to the inside forcing Michael to turn out of the corner to avoid damage. Towards the bottom of the top ten were the Saubers running virtually in formation behind Di Resta, Sergio went to pass the Force India but both cars ended forcing each other wide allowing Kobayashi to take his team-mate. Due to the different strategies within the team Kamui didn't resist when Perez re-took the position after both of them dealt with the Force India.
It was time for the first round of pit-stops and it played into the hands of Kimi Raikkonen, who jumped ahead of Webber and placed right behind Schumacher and Hulkenberg. Michael went for the pass on the Force India in a late move down the inside through the Mercedes Arena, Raikkonen watched the battle unfold and saw an opportunity to follow Michael through, driving round the outside of another Force India on the exit of the arena.Heading in the opposite direction was Pastor Maldonado rejoining just ahead of Webber. Pastor managed to pull out a slight gap while negotiating the Caterham of Petrov who hadn't stopped by this point, Mark's difficulty in dealing with the slower car demonstrated he was having difficulty on the harder compound affecting his confidence on the brakes while the Williams scampered away. Only to be caught back up several laps later to regain the position.
Running longer on the strategies the top three took their stops, as they were in a race of their own, dropping the cars behind - where the Saubers yet to pit were lurking and briefly overlapping with Vettel, but they too pulled in returning back with the Force India's continuing the race long duel as to who would be the champion from the mid-field teams. It was time for some more overtaking and it was Kimi who had caught up to Schumacher after both of them dealt with Hulkenberg a few laps earlier, it was once more down at the hairpin - one of only two overtaking places developing on the track. Michael defended the position but drifted a little wide and Kimi got a better exit to claim the position up into a net fourth position. A little under the radar making places from a low grid slot was Nico Rosberg, working his way into the points from 22nd place. While Sauber were launching a coordinated strike against Force India - Sergio attacking Hulkenberg and Kamui re-passing Paul Di Resta, everything taking place down into the hairpin.
Well almost everything - as the Kobayashi battle raged all the way to the Mercedes Arena, with the Japanese driver throwing it up the inside at the last possible second, but carried too much speed and was re-passed again.
Then that almost guaranteed moment of stability we get in the middle of the race, where not too much happens, with a little twist this time around. As the leaders encountered a rather unusual scenario - being caught by a lapped car, and this lapped car was being piloted by Lewis Hamilton a long way back due to the early puncture. We had the situation where Hamilton was trying to unlap himself, against Vettel, and in the DRS zone managed to do so, much to the German bloke's displeasure waving his arms and gesticulating at the McLaren as it passed. Lewis tried the same procedure on the leader Alonso but Fernando held off the challenge
Things didn't pick up again until the second round of stops were completed, as everyone was handed fresh tyres to reinvigorate their battles. The stops gave Raikkonen a severe burst of speed but the top three were too far ahead, but it did build a gap to the two Saubers behind still running in formation, something the former Renault Squadron were famous for last season. Back in their own battle up front, Vettel had the attentions of Jenson Button once more and the German bloke was soon passed by the McLaren. He set his sights firmly on the leading Ferrari, incurring a flatspot locking up into the hairpin on mounting the charge.A little further back a Force India was in a battle with a Sauber as the two white cars were coming back after their final stops. Hulkenberg had both Saubers closing in lead by Kobayashi a second ahead of Perez, it was in the DRS zone once more where the pass was finally completed. Kamui looked to the outside before switching to the inside just as the apex approached in an undefendable move.
Some drivers were starting to explore the fringes of the track, Grosjean venturing through the gravel on the exit of the mobil curve, while Vettel was running wide virtually everywhere in an effort to catch up with Button ahead. Jenson was right behind Alonso now but was unable to make any advances on the Ferrari and allowing Vettel to close up slowly behind. With laps running out some drivers opted for an extra pit stop to counter the tyre degradation, as the new tyres would easily recoup the time lost pitting for them. The furthest forward of those pitting in was Michael Schumacher out of 5th, as he was about to come under threat from the Sauber duo - Kamui was running over a second per lap faster than the Mercedes. Someone else entering the pit lane was Lewis Hamilton, except he wasn't coming back out again, driving into retirement - citing damage from the puncture. Now there are a couple of problems with that theory, a car with terminal damage tends not to compete for over 50 laps after sustaining the puncture, additionally the car wouldn't be able to catch and un-lap Sebastien Vettel. What the blog assumes is a play here, is that because he officially retired the car, it means Lewis gets to swap the gearbox without a penalty - we're onto your plan Hamilton....
Back at the front and Alonso was able to pull away from Button and Vettel was closing in rapidly on the McLaren, while Schumacher's anti-sauber plan wasn't working out as he wasn't fast enough to charge down Perez in time. Rosberg on a similar strategy to his fellow German team-mate was making some gains being the latest driver to have a go at passing some Force India cars, passing Di Resta for the last championship point.
It was on the penultimate lap where Vettel was within passing range of Jenson in the DRS zone, Button naturally defended the inside lane forcing Sebastien to use the outside. Not that it would stop the German bloke driving round the outside of the McLaren on the exit of the corner. There was only one problem with this is that Button was against the white line at the edge of the track, therefore for Vettel to pass on the outside he was off the track. Using the run-off area as a passing zone, which isn't really allowed and following a long post race investigation Vettel was to handed a 20s time penalty.
Alonso was free and clear to take his third win of the season, staking a claim on the top spot in the championship, Vettel finished on the road in second ahead of Button. Raikkonen finished fourth ahead of the Sauber duo Kamui heading Sergio Perez, they were followed by Schumacher ahead of his friend from Valencia Mark Webber, the points were finished by Hulkenberg in 9th and Rosberg in 10th. Vettel's penalty dropped him in between the two Saubers bumping Raikkonen up onto the podium and Kobayashi into 4th.
The bonus points championship points winners
We not have had some rainfall, or any quantity of mayhem, but the track did offer some great racing overtaking to the outside and the inside and thats where bonus points can be won and lost and these are the winners from the German GP.
- 25pts - Kimi Raikkonen - A strong performance but some brilliant overtaking manoeuvres especially the early more on Di Resta
- 18pts - Kamui Kobayshi - The best finish of his career and some great moves on the way to it
- 15pts - Nico Rosberg - From 22nd to 9th is generally worth points, good job
- 12pts - One-Stop Perez - Another very strong performance from 17th to 5th
- 10pts - Jenson Button - Some forceful late moves into the hairpin, and a nice comeback podium
- 8pts - Fernando Alonso - For a dominant performance in an age of competitiveness
- 6pts - Michael Schumacher - Good racing early in the race, with Hulkenberg and Raikkonen
- 4pts - Lewis Hamilton - For unlapping himself during the race, novelty points there
- 2pts - Maria De Vilotta - Deserves some points to aid the recovery from the testing accident
- 1pt - Pastor Madonado - The first race in while he hasn't hit anyone
The penalties series
There are two entries to add to the table today, and those go to Sergio Perez for his blocking in qualifying and the 20s time penalty handed to Vettel for the illegal pass on Button.
The penalty points series
Considering everyone was so well behaved this weekend for the most part I thought I'd go an entire race without penalising anyone, but I found Hamilton's retirement rather curious, and very suspicious, so suspicious it was going to get a penalty point.
Looking to Hungary
Ah... suppose it is that time of the season again when we head off to Hungary one of the tracks famous for being usually agonisingly dull and processional, as a track is it quite nice to drive on - it flows well and is challenging in places. But as a race it normally is rather lifeless, although when it rains it can get interesting as it was last season, however in all the years the race has featured on the calender it has only rained twice and Button has won both of them attaining a 100% record in the Hungarian rain. That does mean that rain is a little on the unlikely side, therefore we could be in for a rather boring race next week.
Yet, the blog has been surprised before - a similar prospect was planned for Valencia - and that turned out really well with crashing mayhem and some great racing in the process. If we were to look at the different layouts you'd have to say there was a greater chance of carnage in Spain than there is in Hungary because he lap is more flowing and single file. Hopefully the severe drop off in the tyres will allow for some action along the way and make the Hungarian GP another entertaining step in this season. So until them this is farewell from the blog.
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