Formula 1 2014: Round 10 - German Grand Prix

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Race Preview 2014 GERMAN GRAND PRIX

18 – 20 JULY 2014

Following an enthralling grand prix at Silverstone, the 2014 Formula One season this weekend reaches its midpoint, with round 10 of the championship – the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

The Hockenheimring presents teams with a number of tricky challenges, especially in terms of this year’s new technology. While the long, power hungry, forest straights of the old circuit were consigned to history in 2002, the current layout, which see the cars reach over 280kph on three occasions in the opening section alone, continues to provide a stern test for powerplants. In F1’s last outing here in 2012 drivers were at full throttle for two-thirds of every lap, meaning that power units are likely to be severely tested here.

Fuel consumption could also be a concern this year. Not only are cars at full throttle for long periods but the heavy braking needed for the hairpin and the twisty nature of the infield section mean that the circuit is a thirsty one. With drivers limited to 100kg of fuel for the race and a flow limit of 100kg/hour, clever race management could be crucial this weekend.

That shouldn’t mean a lack of excitement, however. The track has two inviting overtaking points at the hairpin (Turn Six) and Turn Eight and with two DRS zones in place at the circuit for the first time, this year’s grand prix could prove to be action-packed.

As the season reaches the halfway mark, the battle for the drivers’ title is delicately balanced. Lewis Hamilton’s win on home soil in Britain drew him to within four points of team-mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg. The German will be hoping to emulate his team-mate’s Silverstone feat and re-establish a gap at the top of the standings with a home win for himself and Mercedes. Hamilton, buoyed by his fifth victory of the season will be doing everything in his power to claim that home Silver Arrows’ win for himself.

Session Times:

Thursday 17th July
14:00 to 14:45 – F1: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
21:00 to 22:00 – F1: Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
23:30 to 23:45 – F1: Gear Up for Germany (Sky Sports F1)

Friday 18th July
08:45 to 11:00 – F1: Practice 1 (Sky Sports F1)
11:00 to 11:50 – GP2: Practice (Sky Sports F1)
12:45 to 14:50 – F1: Practice 2 (Sky Sports F1)
14:50 to 15:30 – GP2: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
16:00 to 16:45 – F1: Team Press Conference (Sky Sports F1)
17:00 to 18:00 – The F1 Show (Sky Sports F1)
18:45 to 19:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)

Saturday 19th July
08:45 to 09:25 – GP3: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
09:45 to 11:15 – F1: Practice 3 (Sky Sports F1)
12:00 to 14:35 – F1: Qualifying (Sky Sports F1)
13:00 to 14:05 – F1: Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live)
14:35 to 16:05 – GP2: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
16:15 to 17:15 – GP3: Race 1 (Sky Sports F1)
17:25 to 18:40 – F1: Qualifying Highlights (BBC One)
19:45 to 20:00 – Inside F1 (BBC News Channel)
20:30 to 23:00 – IndyCars: Toronto (ESPN)

Sunday 20th July
08:20 to 09:20 – GP3: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
09:30 to 10:45 – GP2: Race 2 (Sky Sports F1)
11:30 to 16:15 – F1: Race (Sky Sports F1)
=> 11:30 – Track Parade
=> 12:00 – Race
=> 15:30 – Paddock Live
12:45 to 15:00 – F1: Race (BBC Radio 5 Live)
16:15 to 17:15 – GP Heroes: Niki Lauda (Sky Sports F1)
16:15 to 19:00 – FILM: Grand Prix (BBC Two)
19:00 to 20:30 – F1: Race Highlights (BBC Two)
20:30 to 23:00 – IndyCars: Toronto (ESPN)

CIRCUIT DATA

HOCKENHEIMRING

Length of lap:
5.574km
Lap record:
1:13.780
(Kimi Räikkönen, McLaren, 2004)
Start line/finish line offset:
0.000km
Total number of race laps:
67
Total race distance:
306.458km
Pitlane speed limits:
80km/h in practice, qualifying and the race

CIRCUIT NOTES

► A one-metre wide strip of Grasscrete has been laid next to the track surface on the approach to Turn One.
► In order to prevent further damage to the grass verge at Turn 15, a 50mm high combination kerb has been laid behind the kerb on the apex.
► Drainage has now been provided in the drag strip around the outside of Turn 17, This should prevent the accumulation of water there.

DRS ZONES

► There will be two DRS zones. The detection point of the first is 110m before Turn One, with the activation point 60m after Turn One. The second detection point is at the exit of Turn Four, with the activation point 260m after Turn Four.

Track Map:

Click the track to see Pirelli's Race Preview

Fast Facts

► This will be the 61st German Grand Prix of the Formula One Championship era.

► It will be the 34th time the race has been run at Hockenheim. Two other circuits have hosted the grand prix. The Nürburgring has staged the race 26 times across a number of periods (1951-’54, 1956-’58, 1961-’69, 1971-’76, 1985 and in alternate years from 2009 onwards). The only other venue for the race was Berlin’s AVUS circuit, which hosted a single grand prix, in 1959. That race is unique in that the grand prix was run as two heats, with victory awarded on aggregate performance. It resulted in an all-Ferrari podium, with Briton Tony Brooks victorious ahead of Americans Dan Gurney and Phil Hill.

► Hockenheim made its Formula One calendar debut on August 2, 1970. The race had been switched to the Baden-Württemberg circuit due to safety concerns about the Nürburging and was won by Jochen Rindt. It was his final F1 win before his tragic death, five weeks later, in practice for the Italian Grand Prix.

► When Niki Lauda’s crash at the Nürburging brought to an end the Nordschleife’s time as a German Grand Prix venue, Hockenheim took over, hosting the race from 1977-1984 and then in an unbroken run from 1986 until 2006. No German GP was held in 2007 and when the race returned in 2008, Hockenheim staged the first race of an event-sharing agreement with the Nürburgring.

► Michael Schumacher has the most German GP wins, all coming at Hockenheim (1995 for Benetton and in 2002, 2004 and 2006 for Ferrari). Five drivers have won this event three times: Juan Manuel Fangio, Jackie Stewart, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Fernando Alonso.

► Despite the race-sharing agreement of the past seven years, all three of Alonso’s German victories have come at the Hockenheimring. He took his first here with Renault in 2005 and won for Ferrari in 2010 and 2012.

► Lewis Hamilton is the only other multiple winner in the current F1 driver line-up. He won here in 2008 and at the Nürburgring in 2011.

► Only three German drivers have won their home grand prix. As mentioned, Michael Schumacher won four times. His brother Ralf took victory for Williams-BMW in 2001 and Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel won at home, at the sixth attempt, last year.

► German drivers have, however, won a total of 148 F1 grands prix. Michael Schumacher’s 91 wins are complemented by wins for Wolfgang von Trips (2); Jochen Mass (1); Heinz-Harald Frentzen (3); Ralf Schumacher (6), Sebastian Vettel (39) and Nico Rosberg (6).

► Since the debut of the redesigned circuit in 2002, Hockenheim has staged the race eight times. Five have been won from pole position. The 2006 and 2010 events were won from second and just one win has been scored from off the front row – Alonso, from third in 2005.







Team Quotes:

After a high-speed, breathless race at Silverstone, Formula One racing heads to Germany this week where the drivers will take on the technical Hockenheim circuit for the first time since 2012. Those involved discuss their prospects for this weekend's Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2014...

Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel
2012 Qualifying - 2nd, 2012 Race - 5th
"I always enjoy the atmosphere at the Hockenheimring. When you arrive at track in the morning the circuit's already filled with fans and when you're in the car you can see lots of German flags in the grandstands. The signing session is always very busy too. It's those little things I really enjoy about Hockenheim. We get a lot of encouragement. During practice you know that the fans in the grandstands are there to support you and stand by you, no matter what. Of course, you want to give as much as possible back to the fans, but sometimes it's not in your hands. However we will attack at the weekend and give everything."

Daniel Ricciardo
2012 Qualifying - 11th, 2012 Race - 13th
"Hockenheim's quite a short track but it's another of those with a little bit of everything. I don't think the track asks particularly big questions of the driver, though it requires you to be quite brave through the fast Turn One and the right-hander into the stadium – that's largely about having the confidence in the car to get you through those corners quickly. The other thing you need is good stability under the heavy braking for the hairpin. All in all it's a balancing act. You'd like to have the downforce for the stadium and to keep it steady on the brakes but equally you don't want too much drag on the straights."

Lotus
Romain Grosjean
2012 Qualifying - 15th, 2012 Race - 18th
"I've definitely got good memories of Germany from last year at the Nurburgring, when I led the race on the way to finishing a close third behind Kimi. However my only Hockenheim F1 race was one to forget, a grid penalty and then car damage early in the 2012 Grand Prix. I've got nothing against the track though - one of my first single seater races was at Hockenheim in 2003 and I've raced there in various categories over the years. We've worked hard to improve performance in the low-speed corners, so Hockenheim will be a good test of how much we've progressed. Apart from the run down to the hairpin there are no real straights to speak about so power unit emphasis will be on acceleration rather than top speed. The shorter layout may not have the same character as the original Hockenheim, but it usually provides plenty of overtaking and the atmosphere in the stadium is amazing. It's another track where the fans are absolutely brilliant and really show their appreciation of the sport. I'm looking forward to returning."

Pastor Maldonado
2012 Qualifying - 6th, 2012 Race - 15th
"I have raced at Hockenheim both with GP2 and F1. I've been quite quick there in the past - winning in GP2 - and it's a fun circuit to drive so we'll see how it goes. I really like the people there; the fans are great and so many of them come to the race. There is a great atmosphere, particularly in the final few corners with the big grandstands. The final sector is challenging with lots of corners coming quickly after each other, so that is one area where time can easily be won or lost. Get it right and you carry speed from one corner to the next, but a small mistake in one corner can mean you are also punished at the next. There's potential for it to be a tough weekend for us. The surface is very smooth, there are some slower corners with strong traction demands out of them as well as several straights where you need as much power as possible."

Federico Gastaldi, Lotus deputy team principal
"Hockenheim is always a great Grand Prix and we enjoy racing there. Like Silverstone it has some good history and with the natural amphitheatre stadium bowl it has a unique atmosphere. I remember well the third place we achieved in 2012 and the memories are happy ones. However, for 2014 we are in a different situation but as ever we will strive for the maximum and push once more to fight for points. The team is working so hard for such little points reward at the moment. We need to see that change as soon as possible."

Nick Chester, Lotus technical director
"It's quite a mixed track with a couple of long straights and a medium-speed final section. Two of the straights are also linked by a medium to high-speed corner, which is good for us, as is having soft and supersoft tyres for this circuit. Weather is often a factor there too. Last time we were there, in 2012, it was wet on the Friday and Saturday. The hairpin is a key area for overtaking, so braking will be important. Our development schedule is continuing at full pace. We will have a new front wing, which is a decent improvement, a cooling upgrade and some smaller bodywork updates to increase downforce. Between what we have learnt in the Silverstone test and these upgrades, we hope to make a good step forward."

Force India
Nico Hulkenberg
2012 Qualifying - 5th, 2012 Race - 9th
"Even on tracks where we have been struggling slightly, we have managed to score points - for example, in Silverstone the car balance was not ideal, but we still came away with four points. I'm feeling more positive about our performance in Germany, especially with the return of the soft and supersoft tyres. I know Hockenheim really well because it was my local circuit when I was growing up. For me the trickiest corner is turn one. It's so quick at well over 200 km/h and there is a curb on the exit where it's easy to make a mistake and run wide. The other big feature is the hairpin after the back straight. It's a heavy braking zone and it is easy to run too deep and lose time. It's also a great overtaking opportunity. The racing is always good at Hockenheim so it should be a good show for the fans."

Sergio Perez
2012 Qualifying - 12th, 2012 Race - 6th
"Hockenheim should suit our car and we should be in a much stronger position. It looks like a track where we can perform well. With the softer tyres and warm temperatures it's going to be an interesting race. I like the track, especially the final sector going into the stadium area. I love attacking those corners and you can find a lot of time in this part of the lap. I spent a lot of time in Germany during my career so it's always good to go back there."

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
"Hockenheim is a medium-speed circuit and we have done well on these sorts of tracks this year. It's also Nico's home race so I am sure he will have some extra motivation to do well. We have scored points in every race, but we need to score with both cars if we want to maintain our position in the championship. It's expected to be one of the hotter races of the year and that usually works in our favour."

Sauber
Esteban Gutierrez
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"The Hockenheimring is a track that I always liked a lot. I have great memories of it as I raced there in every category during the early stages of my career. I won a GP3 race there in 2010. Hockenheim consists of a few straights, which can be a challenge for us. It is a technical track with its high-speed corners and the hairpin after the long straight. Entering the stadium is a very fast corner, and the following “Sachskurve” is a tricky one. The last two corners before the finish line are also interesting, so I think that will be the most crucial part of the track. Other than that, I like the atmosphere in Hockenheim as there are usually quite a lot of fans who give us drivers great support."

Adrian Sutil
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"Hockenheim is my home race and, therefore, a special event. I am really looking forward to the weekend. However, I have not raced there since 2010. Some exciting days lie ahead of me, as I am going to meet many guests and sponsors. I like the track, and I have many memories from there. I have raced a lot in Hockenheim and I hope, also for my fans, for a good result as well as an appropriate performance from the team."

Giedo van der Garde, test and reserve driver
"For me it will be the first time running in an F1 car in Hockenheim. As the track is fairly close to Holland, I hope to see some Dutch flags around the circuit. I like this track. I have raced there quite a lot in Formula 3, and my last time in Hockenheim was in 2012 for GP2. I got Pole Position, so I am looking forward to going back and to drive there for the first time with the C33."

Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Sauber head of track engineering
"The track at Hockenheim is a relatively short one, yet offering a wide spread of challenges. Its cornering speeds cover every range between approximately 50 kph at turn six to over 220 kph at turns one and 12; good traction is needed, and braking stability. The tarmac is not abrasive, so soft and super-soft tyres seem to be an appropriate allocation for the event. Considering that all the corners bar three turn right, the left hand side of the car is going to be the most loaded. The race and the test at Silverstone have left their marks on the team. On one side there are positive achievements in terms of overall progress, and on the other hand the amount of wreckage we brought back poses additional work we didn't need in the preparation for the German Grand Prix."

Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne
2012 Qualifying - 18th, 2012 Race - 14th
"It's a nice track and I like the stadium section, the right hand bend and the hairpin, which is a fantastic section in a Formula One car: you drive the whole lap just looking forward to this section! If the track could be just this, it would be fantastic. The rest of it includes a straight that is long enough to allow you to overtake. In fact there are quite a few overtaking opportunities here. I also like the high speed first corner, which requires real commitment from the driver."

Daniil Kvyat
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"I have good memories of racing here, including getting pole position in Formula 3 last year. It's a nice flowing circuit with some fast straights, some heavy braking, especially for the famous hairpin where you can overtake, fast corners and the stadium section with its big crowd. I like the location with the countryside and the forests, which I always appreciate more than the hassle of a city. It's a classic European track, requiring a good amount of downforce. There are some long straights but that's not where the main lap time is found. So you have to have good stability in the more twisty sections."

McLaren
Jenson Button
2012 Qualifying - 7th, 2012 Race - 2nd
"I remember racing at the old Hockenheim – four 200mph straights, a couple of fiddly chicanes and a stadium section where you held on tightly because the car didn't have any downforce. It seems like a different level of craziness compared with today, but it was a lot of fun.

"The re-designed circuit could never be as mighty as the old Hockenheim, but it's a fun little track, and it's been purposely designed to encourage racing. The long, curved straight up to Turn Six is tailor-made for slipstreaming – you force the car ahead to be defensive, so it's actually on the run to Turn Seven that you usually try to overtake, because you're capitalising on the other car's slower exit. Turn Eight is another place where you can try to make a move – because it's possible to get into the corner side-by-side with another driver, and then make the position stick. There are a couple of high-speed corners, but the circuit is largely made up of low-speed turns, so our car shouldn't be too disadvantaged. It's a race that often throws up a surprise or two, so I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Kevin Magnussen
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"I've raced at Hockenheim before – back in 2010 when I was in German Formula 3 – and it's a circuit that I enjoy. It has a good mix of corners, it's a mid-speed track, it's a place where you can spend a lot of the lap fighting other drivers, so it's important to have a car that you feel comfortable pushing and which has good traction out of the corners – which is where a lot of overtaking moves tend to start around here.

"It's a circuit which should hopefully suit us a little bit better than some of the faster, more aero-dependent tracks that we've visited recently. I don't think that will significantly change the competitive order, but it would be good to get some more points under our belts as we push to move up both the drivers' and constructors' championships."

Eric Boullier, McLaren racing director
"It says a lot about the strength of our race team that we've recently managed to achieve some respectable results at circuits where we perhaps didn't expect to shine. We're aware that those results weren't fully representative of the pace of our car, but were achieved because our race team has the experience and commitment to make things count when it really matters.

"Even if, on paper, the track in Germany suits us better than it seemingly did in Great Britain, we still need to maximise everything to be in a strong points-scoring position on Sunday afternoon. There are no short-term answers: we're still pushing the development of MP4-29, and are hopeful that the lessons we learn during this season will have a positive effect on the development of next year's car."

Pirelli
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
"It's a pleasure to go back to Hockenheim after two years away, but this increases the workload for ourselves and the teams as the only concrete F1 data we currently have is two years old – when the cars and the tyres were very different. So we expect the Friday free practice sessions to be extremely important, as the teams use the time to assimilate as much relevant information as they can. We've never been to Hockenheim with the supersoft before, but now that we have collected more data on the compounds this year, we think it should be well-suited to the varying demands of Hockenheim, which used to be one of the fastest circuits in the world, before it was modified in 2002. By Friday afternoon, we should have a clearer idea of how many pit stops we might expect. Germany has always been at the heart of not just Formula One but the automotive industry as a whole, so we're looking forward once more to showcasing our products in front of the extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable German fans."

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
2012 Qualifying - 8th, 2012 Race - DNF
"Winning at Silverstone was just an incredible feeling - for myself, the team and the fans, I couldn't have asked for more. I feel like I've been on the back foot all year, only briefly leading the championship despite taking the wins I've had, so to have got myself just about level was exactly what I needed. It's almost a fresh start heading into the second half of the season and it's going to be a really close battle between us. Of course, you never want to see your team-mate fall away, but hopefully we can now strike a line under the retirements and push each other all the way on track. You can't have everything - the best car, the best pace, the best speed at the end of the straight and perfect reliability - because things are on the limit. But I know how hard the team are working to get as close to that benchmark as we can possibly be. There were lots of positives to take from Silverstone. Knowing I'm going into the next race with the best car, having shown that I've got good pace, and knowing that if I do a good job I can be ahead is a good place to be. This is the home Grand Prix for Mercedes-Benz, so it's important for the team and important for me. I've won twice before in Germany, but not at Hockenheim since way back in 2008. The aim is to change that this weekend."

Nico Rosberg
2012 Qualifying - 17th, 2012 Race - 10th
"Although it wasn't the result I wanted in the end, my weekend in Silverstone was really encouraging in a lot of ways. As a team we made all the right calls in a difficult qualifying session and the balance of the car felt very strong until unfortunately I was forced to retire. It was a real shame, but with the new regulations we are always going to be pushing the boundaries and I know how hard the team is pushing to give us the best car out there every weekend. I lost a lot of points and the championship battle is very close, but I'm feeling good. From the test last week we're straight into the next race and another chance to regain the momentum, which is of course my target. Hockenheim is a crucial race for all of us. It's the home Grand Prix for Mercedes-Benz and a second home race for me after Monaco, so I'm really focused on getting a top result this weekend. It's actually the circuit I've won the most races at during my career through all the junior categories, so I know it suits my driving style. Of course, I would love to add Formula One to that list sometime soon! I've always had good support from the German spectators. They're really enthusiastic and it's almost like a tradition to take the family on a camping weekend for the Grand Prix so I'm looking forward to gunning for a good result in front of the crowds."

Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"We left Silverstone with mixed emotions after something of a rollercoaster weekend. Lewis produced a fantastic performance on Sunday - proving his strength by recovering from the disappointment of qualifying to take a brilliant and highly popular home win. For Nico, a strong weekend unfortunately did not yield the result he deserved and we have been working flat out since the race to find and resolve the problem. We can see the performance in the car, but bulletproof reliability is equally important if we are to maintain our advantage in the championship through to the end of the season. Overall, however, Silverstone provided a memorable weekend for the team - and produced another strong advertisement for this new era of Formula One. Now we head to Germany and the home race of Mercedes-Benz with the championship battle as close as it has been between our two drivers. This is an important weekend for them and equally so for the team, so we will be pushing harder than ever to make sure both cars take the best results. The next chapter in this fascinating contest awaits us and we are determined to put on a strong show."

Paddy Lowe, Mercedes team executive director (technical)
"Silverstone saw a fantastic win for Lewis on the occasion not only of the 50th British Grand Prix, but also the 60th anniversary of the first Formula One victory for Mercedes-Benz. While this brought cause for celebration, the main priority of the days since has been to understand the gearbox problem we saw with Nico's car and to make sure there is no recurrence moving forwards. As with any such scenario, a lot of work has been put into rectifying the issue and we head to Hockenheim with a remedy in place. We will also be bringing a number of other upgrades evaluated during the Silverstone test last week, so we look forward to the next race in the hopes of both improved performance and a more robust package from a reliability perspective. Germany is the home race for Mercedes-Benz and we aim to put on a good show for all of our colleagues who will be attending. It's a good circuit and one at which we expect our car to be strong, but as always performance will be dependent on getting the car set up correctly from the outset and understanding the tyres - which are unusually soft for this race in terms of compound selection. The championship battle is very close between Nico and Lewis, with an exciting contest between the two very much on the cards, so we can expect an entertaining weekend ahead."

Caterham
Kamui Kobayashi
2012 Qualifying - 13th, 2012 Race - 4th
"The last two races before the summer break are Germany and Hungary, both tracks I like but in particular Hockenheim - I have been testing and racing at this track so many times throughout my carrier since I came to Europe. So, in a way, this is one of my home tracks!

"The German Grand Prix, whether it's at Hockenheim or Nurburgring, always has fantastic support from the fans – it's like Silverstone and the atmosphere, especially on Sunday at Hockenheim, is amazing!

"For us this will be another race where we aim to fight back against our nearest rivals. We did not see the full performance of the cars in Silverstone for various reasons, particularly for me as I had issues with the car on both Friday and Saturday. Then on Sunday I lost a chunk of downforce when I had to go off-track to avoid the shunt on lap one - that cost me so much lap time. So, I did not have a proper drive throughout the whole weekend! But I'm determined to make sure that all the problems are now gone and I'm ready to fight back in Germany and Hungary."

Marcus Ericsson
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"Germany is one of the races I've been really looking forward to. I know the track well as I've raced there in GP2 and I think it'll be a great challenge in a 2014 F1 car – there's a good mix of really quick bits and some slower corners where you can overtake, and the noise the German fans make all weekend is amazing! Actually, it's one of the races that a lot of Swedish fans make it to, so seeing my country's flags in the crowd - that'll make it even more special.

"Inside the car I think we know it's going to be another challenging weekend for us in terms of the pure pace, but the team learnt a lot from the two day test we did in Silverstone after the British GP and we'll be looking to put that into practice on track. The key thing for me is to make sure we have maximum mileage all weekend, especially on Sunday when we need to be there at the end of the race. We've seen this year that the races are very unpredictable and for us that can create opportunities, but if we're not on track when the chequered flag falls we can't take advantage of whatever's happening around us, so that's the main goal."

Marussia
Jules Bianchi
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"I have always enjoyed the Hockenheimring, having raced here in the junior formulae and with good memories of having won there much earlier in my career. The target is a little different for this weekend, but having made it into Q2 at Silverstone, we are hoping to show that we are even closer to Sauber, hopefully with another good qualifying. We had a positive test at Silverstone and I hope this will help us to have two strong races before we head into the summer break."

Max Chilton
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"It will be good to be back in the car again in Germany, where I hope we'll see some of the benefit of a really good test at Silverstone last week. I really like the Hockenheimring. It's quite a challenging track and one you can really attack and have some fun with. We demonstrated at the last race that we continue to make good progress, particularly in qualifying, so we're hoping for more of the same this weekend."

John Booth, Marussia team principal
"We've had a busy time since the British Grand Prix, firstly with our two days of testing at Silverstone, and subsequently, analysing a significant amount of data gathered there, in a bid to continue our current rate of improvement over these next two races. It's hard to believe that we have reached the halfway point of the season already as we head to Germany. The last nine rounds have flown by but we have plenty of progress to show for it and I'm very pleased that we continue to hold 9th place in the Constructors' Championship. I hope we can demonstrate that we have further developed the MR03 over the past few weeks and gained a little more on the Saubers."

Williams
Felipe Massa
2012 Qualifying - 14th, 2012 Race - 12th
"Germany is a good track as you can overtake easier than some places as the straight is long and you can use the DRS to get past. The track demands good downforce, especially the last sector so we have been working to improve that. We have been building on what is a good car, so I am confident that we can continue the moment and have a good performance."

Valtteri Bottas
2012 Qualifying - n/a, 2012 Race - n/a
"Hockenheim is a great race, the fans are very passionate and a lot of people come to watch. Overtaking is possible so good racing is expected. I think it should be a circuit that suits our car; the old circuit would have been perfect. I hope we can continue the good form we have had in the last three races and I am looking forward to a good weekend and some more points."

Rob Smedley, Williams head of vehicle performance
"We haven't been to Hockenheim for two years as a team because you alternate the tracks in Germany but I think that it can be a good track for us. It's like Silverstone in the way that it's quite an efficient track. There's good power sensitivity with the long straights which will be good for us. In terms of tyres, we will use both soft and super-soft. It's often cold and rainy as it was during qualifying last time we went there in 2012, alternatively, it can be really hot and that can affect the rear tyres, meaning you must keep both temperatures and graining under control. That is our key focus going into the race weekend, and we hope to come out with more good points."

Race Stats via the f1statblog:

We’re at the half way point in the season, coming up to the 61st German GP and the 34th at the Hockenheimring. The Hockenheimring is 4.574km long with 16 corners, a 67 lap race totalling 306.458km. 17 (51.52%) races at Hockenheim have been won from pole position and 24 (72.73%) from the front row of the grid.

21 drivers have won the German GP at Hockenheim, Ferrari are the most successful constructor and Michael Schumacher the most successful driver, 11 wins for Ferrari and four for Schumacher. Of the drivers on the grid the most successful at Hockenheim is Fernando Alonso with three wins, no other driver has won at the track more than once.

Of the current drivers, Alonso has scored the most points at the track, Button second, Massa third, Vettel fourth and Raikkonen fifth. The lap record was set by Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren in 2004 with a time of 1:13.780 and an average speed of 223kph or 139mph.

Valtteri Bottas has finished on the podium in the last two races, third in Austria, second in Britain, so surely this means a Bottas win in Germany? If Lewis Hamilton were to take pole position it would be his 10th for Mercedes, and a podium for Nico Rosberg would be his 20th in F1

The Silly Stats
Since Germany just won the World Cup, I guess I’ll have to do some football related silly stats!

You would need 20,791 Brazuca footballs to lap once around the Hockenheimring or 1,422,293 to completely cover the track surface.

The fastest German is Marco Reus, it would take him roughly 10:20.106, quite a bit slower than an F1 car.

Preview via the FIA, formula1.com, f1broadcasting.wordpress.com, and Pirelli MotorSport.

_rebelkid

_rebelkid

From formula1.com

In our series exploring the history of Grands Prix through a selection of iconic images, we turn our attention to Germany, and primarily to Hockenheim - the venue for this year’s race. This look back through history takes in Juan Manuel Fangio’s greatest ever drive, emotional victories for Tambay, Berger and Barrichello, heartbreak for Hill, a huge start line crash, and more…



Fangio saves his best for last, Nurburgring, 1957
For all but one year between 1951 and 1976, the German Grand Prix was held at the mighty Nurburgring circuit in the Eifel Mountains, and rather aptly it was at this most demanding of venues that Juan Manuel Fangio, one of Formula One racing’s greatest ever champions, scored his final (and arguably finest) victory. The Argentinian arrived at the race as a 46-year-old four-time world champion, but there was little to suggest that his talents were on the wane. In qualifying the maestro lapped the newly-resurfaced 22km track some 16s inside his own lap record to take pole and in the race he held a comfortable 28s lead before making a scheduled fuel stop on lap 11. The Lancia-Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins sped back into the lead as Fangio’s mechanics took their time fitting news tyres and topping up his Maserati 250F’s fuel tank. By the time Fangio rejoined the track he was well over a minute down on the leading duo, but that was soon whittled away with a charge of epic proportions. Over the remaining 11 laps, he broke and re-broke the lap record 10 times, his fastest lap of all some 8s faster than his pole position time. On the penultimate lap Fangio caught and skilfully passed the two scarlet cars ahead of him, and despite his seat coming loose on the final lap he held on to win the race and seal his fifth drivers’ crown. “There was always fear at the Nurburgring,” Fangio said, “but fear is not a stupid thing. Winning is not a question of courage, but of faith in oneself and the car." The great man is pictured here taking the applause of the crowd as he approaches the finish line.
(© LAT Photographic)



Brooks masters Berlin banking, Avus, 1959
The track pictured here may look more like a fairground ‘wall-of-death’ than a Formula One circuit, but in 1959 the daunting banks of Berlin’s Avus played host to the German Grand Prix. The race was notable for being the only round of the world championship to consist of two heats, both of which were won by Ferrari’s Tony Brooks who took overall victory. The Briton is pictured here leading Stirling Moss , Masten Gregory, Jack Brabham (all Cooper T51 Climax), Jo Bonnier (BRM P25) and Dan Gurney (Ferrari Dino 246) around the infamous North Turn. After negotiating this fearsome corner (the site at which French star Jean Behra would sadly be killed in a sportscar crash on the same weekend), the drivers blasted down the first of Avus’ two parallel straights towards the circuit’s only other corner - the Sudkurve hairpin. Unsurprisingly, safety concerns meant that this would be the world championship’s only visit to Avus, with the German Grand Prix returning to the Nurburgring the following year.
(© LAT Photographic)



Rindt beats Ickx in classic, Hockenheim, 1970
A failure to complete safety improvements meant that the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association refused to race at the Nurburgring in 1970, so the German Grand Prix switched to Hockenheim for the first time instead. The high-speed, tree-lined circuit would provide an epic encounter between Ferrari’s Jacky Ickx (car 10, leading here) and world champion elect Jochen Rindt in his Lotus 72C (pictured close behind). The pair were joined in a slipstreaming group with Jo Siffert, Chris Amon and Clay Regazzoni for much of the race until one by one they each dropped out, leaving the Belgian and the German to fight for victory amongst themselves. Eventually, just two laps from the finish, Rindt seized the decisive advantage, holding on to win by just 0.7s. It was the rapid Austrian’s fourth successive win and gave him a 20 point lead in the race for the world title.
(© Sutton Images)



Tambay eases Ferrari pain with poignant first win, Hockenheim, 1982
Having already lost the talismanic Gilles Villeneuve to a tragic accident earlier in the season, there was more heartache in store for Ferrari at the 1982 German Grand Prix as championship leader Didier Pironi sustained career-threatening injuries in a violent crash during Hockenheim practice. The Scuderia’s hopes thus passed to Patrick Tambay, the man who had been brought into the fold after Villeneuve’s passing. In truth, victory seemed beyond the charming Frenchman on race day as the Brabham of Nelson Piquet raced into a seemingly unassailable lead. But memorably the Brazilian was tipped out of the race by Eliseo Salazar’s ATS and the rest, as they say, is history. Tambay brought the lone 126C2 home to record a maiden victory and after an emotional embrace with the Ferrari mechanics, the Frenchman was joined on the podium by countryman Rene Arnoux (left) and third-place finisher Keke Rosberg (right).
(© Sutton Images)



Fuel furore forces Prost to push, Hockenheim, 1986
The 1986 German Grand Prix produced one of the most dramatic finishes in the event’s history with the leading places not decided until the final corners of the last lap. Throughout the race the one-stopping McLarens of Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg had diced with Nelson Piquet’s two-stopping Williams, but by the final lap they’d not only been beaten by the Brazilian, but they were also now critical on fuel. Rosberg’s second-placed car was the first to give up, spluttering to a halt on the back straight. Senna, who had already passed Prost for third, nipped by the Finn’s car to take second, but surely third was the Frenchman’s? Not so - as Prost entered the stadium section at the end of the final lap his engine, devoid of fuel, finally cut out. The ‘Professor’ undid his belts and desperately tried to jerk the car onwards, but it was losing momentum. Out of ideas and just metres from the finish line Prost jumped out of the car and - as pictured - began to push. But as the crowd cheered him on, the McLaren was passed by Nigel Mansell’s Williams and with his podium gone and Rene Arnoux’s Ligier set to take fourth, the defeated Frenchman wheeled his car off track. He would eventually be classified sixth.
(© LAT Photographic)



Tyre blows it for Hill, Hockenheim, 1993
Two weeks before the 1993 German Grand Prix, Damon Hill had seen his hopes of a maiden world championship victory go up in smoke as the Renault V10 in the back of his Williams expired 18 laps from the flag at Silverstone. Sadly the Briton would have an even nearer miss at Hockenheim when, having led virtually all race, he suffered a left-rear tyre deflation midway around the penultimate lap. As he limped back towards the pits, Hill was powerless in preventing team mate Alain Prost from overtaking and the Frenchman duly wrapped up what would turn out to be his 51st and final victory. Hill, meanwhile, got as far as the pit lane entry before spinning his ill-handling car into retirement. But as he climbed out of his stricken car, little did Hill know that just a few weeks later he would finally score his breakthrough win in Hungary.
(© Sutton Images)



Berger celebrates emotionally charged victory, Hockenheim, 1997
To say that Gerhard Berger had endured a rough time leading up to the 1997 German Grand Prix would be an understatement. Not only did the popular Austrian miss three consecutive races because of sinus problems, but during the same period his father was killed in a plane crash. But out of pain and heartbreak came a fairy tale performance and what the Benetton driver would subsequently describe as his ‘best ever victory’. Having taken pole in qualifying, the then 37-year-old overcame an inferior two-stop strategy to see off the feisty challenge from Giancarlo Fisichella’s one-stopping Jordan. Berger is pictured here celebrating a perfect weekend in which he also claimed fastest lap. It proved to be his 10th and final Grand Prix win.
(© LAT Photographic)



Tearful Barrichello takes maiden victory, Hockenheim, 2000
Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello described the Saturday of the 2000 German Grand Prix - when car problems consigned him to a distant 18th in qualifying - as his “worst day of the year”. What contrast it was then when, on the Sunday, the Brazilian took his maiden Grand Prix victory thanks to a fortuitous safety car and an inspired drive on slicks in damp conditions. Never one to hide his emotions, Barrichello’s eyes filled with tears of joy as he stood atop Hockenheim’s podium, but he was smiling again as McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen (pictured in the background) and David Coulthard (right, obscured) gave him a customary soaking with champagne.
(© Sutton Images)



Burti survives spectacular airborne shunt, Hockenheim, 2001
The 2001 season proved to be a rather unfortunate one for Prost’s Luciano Burti who suffered two major crashes in a matter of weeks. The first, pictured here, occurred off the start line at Hockenheim when Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari (red car, right of picture) bogged down and was struck square on by the unsighted Brazilian. In an instant Burti’s car was pointing skywards from where it twisted spectacularly before landing upside down and virtually on top of Enrique Bernoldi’s Arrows. The stricken Prost, still moving at speed, then righted itself before skipping through the gravel and into the Turn 1 barriers. Despite the violence of the shunt both Burti and Schumacher were able to take the re-start in spare cars, though neither would make it as far as the chequered flag. A little over a month later Burti was involved in an even bigger crash in Belgium and his injuries kept him out for the rest of the season.
(© LAT Photographic)



“Fernando is faster than you”, Hockenheim, 2010
Rarely has a radio message been scrutinized as much as Rob Smedley’s missive to race leader Felipe Massa in the latter stages of the 2010 German race. With title-contending Ferrari team mate Fernando Alonso in close proximity, Massa (leading in this picture) was given the message “Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?” Moments later the Brazilian duly let his Spanish team mate past, Alonso went on to collect the maximum 25 points, and Ferrari were swiftly embroiled in a team orders scandal that saw them fined $100,000 for bringing the sport into disrepute. The incident proved to be a turning point as the rules regarding team orders were subsequently revised.
(© Sutton Images)

Jordan 199

I want Lewis to win on Rosberg's home turf this weekend.

losthorizon

The Banking at the Avus circuit in Berlin is incredible.:eek:

Thats a great picture.

Adamocovic

Would love to see Button do well. He seems to be undeservedly singled out for McLarens poor season. Not much you can do with a poor car though.

Also I hope Rosberg finishes ahead of Hamilton. Hamilton's attitude has been poor even for his standards! I know some people are fan of him but I think he's very disrespectful to other drivers at times.

flazio

I miss the 6km track, DRS need not apply. As close to drag racing as it is possible in Formula 1. I know Monza is statistically faster but it's only half the length.

Speaking of missing things, no Free Practice on Setanta because of the golf

Jordan 199

flazio wrote: »

I miss the 6km track, DRS need not apply. As close to drag racing as it is possible in Formula 1. I know Monza is statistically faster but it's only half the length.

The old circuit was tough on engines too. You would see cars pulling off to the side with smoke coming out of the back during the races there.

Zcott

Jordan 191 wrote: »

The old circuit was tough on engines too. You would see cars pulling off to the side with smoke coming out of the back during the races there.

It was completely outrageous in modern F1 and that's why it needed to stay. There was always plenty of overtaking and it was great watching drivers with skinny wings trying to wrestle their cars through the stadium section. The new one isn't a patch on the old one.

losthorizon

Zcott wrote: »

It was completely outrageous in modern F1 and that's why it needed to stay. There was always plenty of overtaking and it was great watching drivers with skinny wings trying to wrestle their cars through the stadium section. The new one isn't a patch on the old one.

Remember that - great fun. Under those circumstances I'm sure Mercedes would be in trouble this weekend. Also, this is one of my first memories in F1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG6ZGWA_xiA

Mike Litoris

I love the look of those ground effects cars without the front wing. Love the Brabham livery.

Gillespy

Adamocovic wrote: »

Would love to see Button do well. He seems to be undeservedly singled out for McLarens poor season. Not much you can do with a poor car though.

He threw Magnussen under the bus a few weeks so I enjoyed Ron turning the tables on him.

Peanut Butter Jelly

And Nico has won his home race.

Mike Litoris

Holy smokes!!

Peanut Butter Jelly

Right front brake gave up.

Any chance of updates for those of us who can't watch?

Mike Litoris

ButtonFTW, Autosport have decent updates if that's any use.


http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/758?_ga=1.195338223.239286970.1395689244

Peanut Butter Jelly

Hamilton has crashed into the barrier in the stadium section hairpin. Session was red flagged but has now restarted.

Ghost Train

Odd accident. Rear right maybe had problem. Didn't look too rough a crash when slowed down on the replay

Jordan 199

Deleted User wrote: »

Any chance of updates for those of us who can't watch?

Try this link.

It's grand, found a way to watch :P

Myrddin

Ghost Train wrote: »

Odd accident. Rear right maybe had problem. Didn't look too rough a crash when slowed down on the replay

One angle showed a puff of brake dust from the rear right under braking, just before the spin

Peanut Butter Jelly

It's the right front that failed as far as I can tell. If you watch the replays, the tyre never locks up even on the gravel, while all the others do.

Frankie Lee

Should take about 7 laps for Hamilton to work his way into 2nd tomorrow.

Mike Litoris

It will make things interesting tomorrow. Shame though, it could have been a big battle between him and Rosberg. The hairpin at the end of the long back straight is an immense overtaking spot.

Ghost Train

I suppose better to have disc fail today than tomorrow. Would have thought they'd have brakes in good condition for qualifying

Perez knocking his teammate from last year out of top 10

I'm hoping that the next fastest after Rosberg whether it's Ricciardo or the Williams can get a clear run at him tomorrow. There's been a few races where the Mercs would've been under a bit more pressure due to wear and the like but kept a gap due to the next fastest cars getting held up.

Mike Litoris

Bottas looks strong but Rosbergs lap looked relaxed while his looked on the ragged edge. With Massa in the mix and if Rosberg gets a bad start things could get very spicey.

Myrddin

Seems like ages ago that Hamilton & Rosberg were actually battling with each other on track. The F1 gods have made it so that it's a reliability battle more than anything else

The fight back in Silverstone was one thing...but 16th tomorrow is a totally different situation. Can he get on the podium from that far back?

Myrddin

Myrddin wrote: »

Seems like ages ago that Hamilton & Rosberg were actually battling with each other on track. The F1 gods have made it so that it's a reliability battle more than anything else

The fight back in Silverstone was one thing...but 16th tomorrow is a totally different situation. Can he get on the podium from that far back?

4th/5th will be very straightforward. Safety car in the middle of the race would probably get him to 2nd or 3rd before the end. The Merc has a massive amount of pace in hand over just about everyone else.

Also the Parabolika corner into the hairpin is designed for this year's Merc.

Myrddin

Deleted User wrote: »

4th/5th will be very straightforward. Safety car in the middle of the race would probably get him to 2nd or 3rd before the end. The Merc has a massive amount of pace in hand over just about everyone else.

Also the Parabolika corner into the hairpin is designed for this year's Merc.

Yeah maybe so. I suppose avoiding a potential mill-up at the first few corners will be the priority. If he settles in, I'd expect him to start making up places fairly pronto. Not sure of the strategies for this race, could he start on primes & go long...maybe doing a 1-stop?

Will depend on how wear goes for everyone else, think 1-stopping would be pushing it though. He'll be around other people outside the top 10 on the harder tyres so getting through them will be straightforward (Merc generally have a bigger adventure on harder tyres) and by he'll be into the top 10 very quickly and will be able to pick off the guys trying to mind their soft tyres on heavy fuel.
Long-story short, strategy call can be made more or less on-the-fly for Hammo.

Peanut Butter Jelly

Deleted User wrote: »

Will depend on how wear goes for everyone else, think 1-stopping would be pushing it though. He'll be around other people outside the top 10 on the harder tyres so getting through them will be straightforward (Merc generally have a bigger adventure on harder tyres) and by he'll be into the top 10 very quickly and will be able to pick off the guys trying to mind their soft tyres on heavy fuel.
Long-story short, strategy call can be made more or less on-the-fly for Hammo.

A 2 stop will be right on the limit. Now nothing's impossible, but doing a 1 stop will not lend itself to being competitive tomorrow.

Hamilton will most likely go SuperSoft, Soft, Soft if it's a 2 stopper, SuperSoft, Soft, Soft, SuperSoft if it's a 3.

Frank Bullitt

Reading on twitter that Hamilton will start from the pit lane tomorrow.

http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/07/19/hamilton-heading-for-pitlane-start-despite-mercedes-safety-claims/

If he starts from the pitlane he'll still be top 10 after 5 laps.

Frankie Lee

Good tactical move from Hamilton, the car can be set up to make overtaking even easier.

Frank Bullitt

I would imagine the car was already set for that, its mainly a safety thing in relation to the brakes.

Infoanon

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If he starts from the pitlane he'll still be top 10 after 5 laps.

Maybe at the old Hockenheim with the long straights, its hard to pass in the new configuration.

Infoanon

Infoanon wrote: »

Maybe at the old Hockenheim with the long straights, its hard to pass in the new configuration.

With Merc power in a car several seconds a lap faster? Button is the next Merc-powered car ahead of him, he'll cruise up to him no problem.

Gillespy

Fastest car starting at the back of the field is always risky so he avoids that.

stevenmu

I presume the rules force him to start from the pit lane because they'll be doing so much rebuilding on the car rather than it being a tactical decision?

I wouldn't be surprised to see him do 3 stops, and use the stops to find some space to run fast. Hockenheim is very narrow, so even with a much faster car overtaking won't be easy once he gets up to the top ten. Though I'm not sure if fuel considerations will allow for that.

Infoanon

stevenmu wrote: »

I presume the rules force him to start from the pit lane because they'll be doing so much rebuilding on the car rather than it being a tactical decision?
.

Lewis wants to revert to Carbone Industries brake discs - this is a breach of parc ferme rules thus has to start from the pitlane, gearbox change now also being considered.

Lewis reportedly regularly changes brake disc manufacturers during a race weekend.

Frankie Lee

He will take 6 or 7 in the first lap and then 1 a lap after that along the long back straight. He will pass the Williams by the half way stage. All Rosberg has to do is not break down or crash.

Stoolbend

Williams are usually the fastest in a straight line so it'll be interesting to see how the Mercedes fares against it this weekend.

If rosberg gets a good start that'll be it barring reliability.

Charlie-Bravo

5 place grid penalty for Hamilton for changing gearbox. Still waiting to hear if he'll start from pit lane.

Charlie-Bravo

GP2 race is wet this morning. If it's wet later at lunchtime maybe Hamilton starting from the pit lane with a wet setup would make things more interesting!

Oblomov

Lewis Hamilton will start the German Grand Prix from no higher than 20th on the grid following a five-place penalty for changing his gearbox.

BBC news

Oblomov

Lewis hamilton changed to brembo brakes prior to the accident, while Rosberg is running Carbon Industries brakes..

Really need to find who is running what to make any serious comment And/or other teams experience with the two systems.

Zcott

Here's a list of teams who run Brembo brakes.

losthorizon

Cant get over the lack of spectators attending the GP weekend. Usually its packed. Very sad to see.

Oblomov

http://formula1.brembo.com/en/2014-03-04-08-27-28/10-germania-hockenheim-18-20-lug-2013