German GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

GERMAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton reclaimed the title lead with victory at the German Grand Prix after Sebastian Vettel crashed out of the lead in changing conditions.

    Vettel led the majority of the first half of the race while Hamilton climbed up from 14th on the grid. The German briefly fell behind Kimi Raikkonen – who was running a two stop strategy -  but Ferrari ordered Raikkonen to let his team-mate past.

    Meanwhile, Hamilton had climbed up to third with an extra long first stint. Mercedes was banking on rain, planning on putting Hamilton straight on Intermediate tyres, but Hamilton was struggling on the soft tyres and was forced to pit.

    Moments later, the rain came and a number of mid-field drivers came into the pits for Intermediate tyres. Red Bull opted to gamble and call Max Verstappen in from fifth, putting him on the green walled Pirellis. The grooved tyres only lasted a few laps before the rain began to clear and those who had taken the gamble returned to the pits for new slicks. Verstappen remained fifth, but put himself out of the battle at the sharp end of the field.

    Conditions were still treacherous, with a number of drivers including Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez spinning on the wet track.

    Vettel was beginning to settle in the lead of the race when he pushed a little too hard, sending his Ferrari through the gravel and into the wall. It brought an end to the German’s race – and his lead at the top of the points standings – and brought out the safety car.

    Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas both came into the pits for fresh tyres. Hamilton, who had now been promoted to third, was initially called into the pits, but was told as he pulled into the pit lane to stay out. The Mercedes was forced to cut across the grass to rejoin the track, prompting a reprimand from the stewards.

    Hamilton led Bottas and Raikkonen behind the safety car. On the restart, Hamilton struggled with cooler tyres and Bottas was able to challenge his team-mate. The pair ran side by side for a number of corners before Hamilton was able to get heat into his tyres and escape up the road while Bottas was told to hold position.

    Raikkonen was unable to challenge Bottas in the closing stages of the race and finished third, ahead of Verstappen.

    Verstappen’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardo suffered another DNF after starting from the back of the grid due to an engine change. He’d been enjoying a strong drive up through the field when he stopped at the side of the field with a power unit problem.

    Nico Hulkenberg finished fifth after battling with Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon.

    Marcus Ericsson took his third points finish of the season in ninth, ahead of Brendon Hartley.

    Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag 10th, but was handed a 10 second penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions and dropped back to 12th, behind Kevin Magnussen, on the corrected times.

    Stoffel Vandoorne, Pierre Gasly, and Charles Leclerc were the last of the finishers.

RESULTS: 

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points
3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 15 Points
4. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 12 Points
5. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 10 Points
6. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 8 Points 
7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 6 Points
8. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 4 Points
9.  Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden / + 2 Points
10.  Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand / + 1 Point
11. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
12. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain
13. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium 
14. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
15. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / Gearbox
RETIRED - Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / Brakes
RETIRED - Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / Spun off
RETIRED - Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia / Oil leak
RETIRED - Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / Power Unit

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German GP: Qualifying - RE-CAP & RESULTS

GERMAN GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel took Pole Position ahead of his home grand prix, while Lewis Hamilton fell out of Q1 due to a hydraulics problem. Marcus Ericsson halted Q2 after spinning off the track, then re-joining and making a mess of the gravel. The session was red flagged so the area of the circuit could be swept, before it continued.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

3. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

4. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

5. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

6. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

7. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

8. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain

9. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

11. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain

12. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

13. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

14. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

15. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France

16. Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

17. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

18. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

19. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia*

20. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France*

* - Notes both Ricciardo and Gasly will start from the back of the grid due to penalties from multiple engine component changes

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German GP: Free Practice #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

GERMAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP  & TIMES

    Charles Leclerc led a Sauber 1-2 in a wet final free practice session ahead of qualifying for the German Grand Prix.

    Heavy rain limited running for the entire field, with only nine cars setting laptimes during the hour long session.

    The rain began half an hour before the session was due to start and, though many were able to set install laps during the first 15 minutes of FP3, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg was the only man to set a lap time, putting in a 1m36.873s on the wet Hockenheim circuit.

    After the first quarter of the session, the rain intensified, with Carlos Sainz spinning at turn 10, and the circuit was empty for more than half an hour.

    Eight drivers opted to test the waters in the final 10 minutes of the session.

    Leclerc put in a 1m34.577s to go top of the times, 0.423s ahead of team-mate Marcus Ericsson.

    Sergey Sirotkin took third, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly, and Brendon Hartley.

    Renault decided against sending its drivers back out during the late flurry of action, deeming it unsafe and useless. That meant Hulkenberg’s early time was knocked down to seventh, while Sainz was one of 11 drivers not to set a lap time.

    It may have been a wise decision, with Renault only bringing limited spare parts and conditions still bad enough to send Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Vettel into spins.

    Kimi Raikkonen and Stroll ended the morning eighth and ninth quickest, with Stroll almost four seconds slower than Leclerc.

TIMES: 

1. Charles Leclerc - 1:34.577 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco
2. Marcus Ericsson - 1:35.000 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden
3. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:35.334 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia
4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:35.573 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany
5. Pierre Gasly - 1:35.659 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
6. Brendon Hartley - 1:36.151 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand
7. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:36.873 / Renault-Renault / Germany
8. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:37.755 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
9. Lance Stroll - 1:38.393 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada
10. Max Verstappen – NO TIME SET / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands
11. Lewis Hamilton – NO TIME SET / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
12. Valtteri Bottas – NO TIME SET / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland
13. Romain Grosjean – NO TIME SET / Haas-Ferrari / France
14. Kevin Magnussen – NO TIME SET / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
15. Esteban Ocon – NO TIME SET / Force India-Mercedes / France
16. Sergio Perez – NO TIME SET / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
17. Carlos Sainz – NO TIME SET / Renault-Renault / Spain
18. Daniel Ricciardo – NO TIME SET / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia
19. Fernando Alonso – NO TIME SET / McLaren-Renault / Spain
20. Stoffel Vandoorne – NO TIME SET / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

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German GP: Free Practice #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

GERMAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    While Daniel Ricciardo had topped the first practice session, this time around it was his younger team-mate, Max Verstappen.

    The Dutch driver set a fastest time of 1:13.085, breaking the track's lap record. He was followed by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, who are both freshly re-signed to Mercedes. 

    Sebastian Vettel was once again 4th, with a 1:13.310. Raikkonen followed right behind with a 1:13.427.

    Max Verstappen may have been up in front, but Ricciardo was down in 13th, setting a 1:14.682. Ricciardo will start the race from the back, due to multiple engine component changes. The Australian also avoided a huge collision with Sergey Sirotkin during the session.

    Haas was once again in the top 10 thanks to both drivers. Grosjean finished in 6th with a 1:13.973 and Magnussen in 7th with a 1:14.189. There's no word on who will be driving for the American team in 2019, but Haas has confirmed that they will not be taking part in the test set to take place after next week's Hungarian Grand Prix.

    Stoffel Vandoorne has so-far had a frustrating weekend, finishing both sessions down in 20th. His quickest time was a 1:15.454. Team-mate, Alonso, was only a few spaces ahead in 17th with a 1:14.836.

    After missing the opening session for reserve drivers, Marcus Ericsson and Esteban Ocon returned to their cars to drive on the circuit for the first time this weekend. Ericsson, in the Sauber, grabbed the 14th quickest time while Ocon in the pink Force India, finished in 10th, one space ahead of his team-mate, Perez, who was 11th quickest with a 1:14.552.

    Leclerc was once again in the top 10, this time in 8th with a 1:14.374. The young Monegasque driver continues to impress the Swiss team and other teams as well. While Leclerc could move to Ferrari in 2019, it is also rumoured that he might stay at Sauber for another year and partner Italian driver, Antonio Giovinazzi.

    Gasly and Hartley, the Toro Rosso duo, finished 15th and 16th respectively, putting in better times than in the first session. Gasly put in a 1:14.793 while Hartley was close with a 1:14.830.

TIMES: 

1. Max Verstappen - 1:13.085 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:13.111 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:13.190 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:13.310 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

5. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:13.427 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

6. Romain Grosjean - 1:13.973 / Haas-Ferrari / France

7. Kevin Magnussen - 1:14.189 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

8. Charles Leclerc - 1:14.374 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

9. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:14.496 / Renault-Renault / Germany

10. Esteban Ocon - 1:14.508 / Force India-Mercedes / France

11. Sergio Perez - 1:14.552 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Carlos Sainz - 1:14.592 / Renault-Renault / Spain

13. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:14.682 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

14. Marcus Ericsson - 1:14.783 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

15. Pierre Gasly - 1:14.793 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

16. Brendon Hartley - 1:14.830 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

17. Fernando Alonso - 1:14.836 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

18. Lance Stroll - 1:15.269 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

19. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:15.408 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:15.454 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

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German GP: Free Practice #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

GERMAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    After a small break following the intense triple-header, it's back to work for the teams. The first practice session of the German Grand Prix weekend saw Daniel Ricciardo topping the time-sheets.

    The Red Bull driver set a 1:13.525, while Lewis Hamilton finished the session in 2nd, ahead of Ricciardo's team-mate, Max Verstappen, who was 3rd with a 1:13.714.

    Home town hero, Sebastian Vettel came fourth in the order while Valtteri Bottas completed the top 5. 

    Bottas, who was recently confirmed to stay at Mercedes for the 2019 season with an extra 1-year-option, set a 1:13.903. Lewis Hamilton was also confirmed at the team through 2020.

    Vettel's current team-mate, Raikkonen, finished behind them in 6th with a 1:14.267.

    Charles Leclerc, who is looking more and more likely to be wearing red next season, finished in 9th with a 1:15.097. His usual team-mate, Ericsson, sat out the session for Antonio Giovinazzi, who is hoping for a full-time seat next year, possibly with the Swiss team. 

    Giovinazzi finished down in 19th with a 1:16.136. During the session, the engine cover flew off of his car and landed on the circuit, confining him to the garage for quite some time.

    Also driving in FP1 was Nicholas Latifi, who took over for Esteban Ocon at Force India. Ocon has been linked to a potential drive with Renault, but so far it's nothing more than a rumour. 

    Latifi, who currently drives for DAMS in the Formula 2 championship, completed a fastest time of 1:16.023, putting him in 17th. Sergio Perez, who made an amazing come-back during a tough British GP, finished in 11th with a 1:15.415.

    It was a decent hour and a half for Haas, who saw both their drivers finish in the top 10. Grosjean in 7th with a 1:14.691 and Magnussen right behind in 8th with a 1:14.853.

    Hulkenberg, who is also fighting to perform well in front of his home-crowd, finished in 10th. Team-mate, Sainz, was a bit further down in 14th.

TIMES:

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:13.525 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:13.529 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Max Verstappen - 1:13.714 / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

4. Sebastian Vettel - 1:13.796 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:13.903 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

6. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:14.267 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

7. Romain Grosjean - 1:14.691 / Haas-Ferrari / France

8. Kevin Magnussen - 1:14.853 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

9. Charles Leclerc - 1:15.097 / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:15.282 / Renault-Renault / Germany

11. Sergio Perez - 1:15.415 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

12. Fernando Alonso - 1:15.544 / McLaren-Renault / Spain

13. Lance Stroll - 1:15.629 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

14. Carlos Sainz - 1:15.769 / Renault-Renault / Spain

15. Brendon Hartley - 1:15.864 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand

16. Sergey Sirotkin - 1:15.876 / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

17. Nicholas Latifi - 1:16.023 / Force India-Mercedes / Canada*

18. Pierre Gasly - 1:16.071 / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France

19. Antonio Giovinazzi - 1:16.136 / Sauber-Ferrari / Italy*

20. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:16.149 / McLaren-Renault / Belgium

* - Notes participating in FP1 only

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Esteban Ocon - “I feel ready for the final two races before the summer break. We have been finding performance as a team with strong results in the last few races and I want to have two good ones before the holidays.

    Hockenheim is one of the tracks I know the most. I have been driving there a lot in my career, first in F3 but also during my experience in DTM with Mercedes. It’s one of those historical tracks that are important for Formula One and there are always a lot of fans coming to see us with cards, messages and letters. It’s important to have a German Grand Prix and it’s always a special feeling racing there.

    I think the weekend can be a good one for us. The track should suit us because of the long straights and slow corners, so it’s a chance to score more points. I enjoy the circuit. It has good overtaking opportunities, especially the hairpin at the end of a long straight and the sharp left hander a bit later. The racing is usually quite close so hopefully we will have an entertaining race on Sunday.”

Sergio Perez - “Hockenheim is an amazing track in a country with so much racing history: it’s a race we really missed not having in the calendar last year. I remember the early years of my career, living and racing in Germany, and it’s always very enjoyable when I go back to visit. I really love German food too!

    Hockenheim is a track that gives you good overtaking opportunities, especially on the approach to the hairpin. You arrive there so fast and it’s a very big braking zone so it’s always a good place to have a go. It’s probably one of the best circuits for creating exciting racing.

    I was happy to rescue a point last weekend in Silverstone after a big recovery. The main focus for Germany is to have a clean weekend because if we maximize our performance we can be at the front of the midfield. There is a long way to go (11 races) and lots to play for. We are finding a bit more performance with each race and I still believe we can target fourth place in the championship.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Carlos Sainz - "I’m happy to be back racing in Germany. I’m especially looking forward to it as we have a few updates there – including a new front wing - to help us get back on the pace we showed at the beginning of the year. Hockenheim is a track I’ve won at in the past, so it’s one I’m looking ahead to. It’s Nico’s home race too, so that’ll be special for him – like for me in Spain – and that will help us both push hard on track all weekend."

Nico Hulkenberg - "It’s very special to have the German Grand Prix back on the calendar. A home race is extremely motivating, as you carry that extra ounce of determination to do well in front of the home fans. We missed it last season, but now it’s back at Hockenheim, we’ll really enjoy every moment throughout the weekend."

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - ASTON MARTIN RED BULL RACING

Daniel Ricciardo - “Hockenheim is a fun circuit and I’ve always enjoyed going there. My highlight is probably the battle I had there with Alonso in 2014 which I loved. Turn 1 is super-fast and the track is good for overtaking. The stadium section is also fast with a big bold left hander. All round it’s a good track and one I’ve always gone well on and enjoyed. It’s good to have a bit of a break after the triple header as things haven’t quite gone my way over the last three races, but I’m looking forward to getting back on track and to things turning around in Germany and Hungary. The German crowds are great, the German beer is good and of course I always look forward to more Schnitzel.”

Max Verstappen - "The German Grand Prix is back on the calendar and I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure quite a few Dutch fans will also come over and visit the track to support me. At the last German Grand Prix we had a double podium, so that is of course a good memory. Hockenheim is a historic track with some interesting corners, especially in the last sector where you can try different lines, so that’s enjoyable. I’m looking forward to the whole weekend and to experience it again. Also, I think for Germany to have a Grand Prix is very important as there are so many motorsport fans living there. So, I’m happy to go back.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL TORO ROSSO HONDA 

Pierre Gasly - “Now we head to Germany. I had my first Renault 2-litre race at Hockenheim, where I qualified second on the front row alongside Stoffel Vandoorne. The last time I was there was in GP2 in 2016; I was having a good race but my fire extinguisher went off going down the straight and the cockpit filled with smoke so I was disqualified on safety grounds. It had been a really good race up until then.

    The Hockenheim track has plenty of character with a lot of history behind it. The stadium section is the part I like best, it is very technical with not much in the way of straights and it’s the most fun to drive. I’d like to go and see the old part, as I gather it was really impressive with the very long straights and the chicane before it turned back towards the pits.”

Brendon Hartley - “After the three races in a row it was good to have a few days off, and I hope all the team members managed to get a bit of a break too. I spent a couple of days mountain biking in the UK and enjoying the weather, but it was soon time to get back to work with a day in the simulator to prepare for the German Grand Prix.

    I raced at Hockenheim in the Formula 3 Euro Series and I have to say it’s a cool track. I like going to these old circuits that have a lot of history, even if we don’t race anymore down those two very long straights through the forest. I’d like to try that! The final part with the grandstand in the Motodrom section has an amazing atmosphere when it’s packed with fans. The track has a bit of everything: a very high speed Turn 1 where the kerb comes into play, and the final sector which is very technical featuring a banked section, which is something of a rarity on modern Formula 1 tracks. The combination of the high speed flat parts along with the more technical bits, as well as having some cambered sections, makes it a very interesting lap to drive.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - "The potential of the team is big. That’s what I’ve been saying for a long time. This year, we’ve shown that we’re capable of being fast at most of the tracks, and it’s been really promising. It’s good news and it’s been a good effort from everyone on the team. Barcelona, Paul Ricard, Red Bull Ring, Silverstone – they’re all places where we’ve been really strong at different types of circuits. The team has made a lot of progress. The potential has been there since day one. We’re ready for more.

    We’ve been good everywhere, except Monaco, to be fair. The latest upgrade we had is a really good step forward. It makes the car better in low speed, as well. I think high speed we’ve got a really good balance. It’s a really consistent car with good down force. In low speed, we know we can improve a little bit more, we know where, but the car is not bad either. I think we could actually be alright in Germany and in Hungary.”

Kevin Magnussen - "I think in Barcelona (at testing) we realized that our car was pretty handy. Our expectations then were already quite high. I’m not surprised by this point to be fifth in constructors’ championship. We’ve got the potential in the car to be even higher than this. We should aim to keep this position, or even target one more position. I think Renault is very consistent, but we can beat them at times, and we have done many times this year. Most of the time we’re level with them on pace, so it should be possible to keep fighting for this position all the way to the end.

    Germany has a mix of corners with high, medium and low-speed turns. It’s a good, all-around track. I think it will be possible to overtake there as well. Let’s see. I think it’s probably not a track we’re looking forward to the most in the season, but we can still score points, I’m pretty certain.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Lance Stroll - "This is a cool track that has a great flow and I know it really well. I have very fond memories of driving there and it has always treated me well. I have won three races there in the past and our Formula 3 car always worked pretty well there. I have not seen an F1 race there, but I’m told that the atmosphere in the stadium section is electric. The town itself is not much of a place and usually there is not much happening there, but I am sure that will be very different when the F1 fans get back there after not having had a German race for two years."

Sergey Sirotkin - "I have very good memories from Hockenheim. I like this track, and it should suit our car better than other tracks have done. It will be exciting to see what our recent upgrades can bring us before the summer break. It will be an important weekend for the team and I am looking forward to it."

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN F1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “I enjoy racing at Hockenheim and have won there three times so it’s great to be back after a break last year. The track is viewed as one of the classics, it’s fun to drive and there are a couple of overtaking opportunities – and an extra DRS zone this year – so hopefully we can fight with the cars around us.

    We know we need to work on our qualifying performances to give ourselves the best chance on Sunday, but we’ve also seen that during the race we can push forward and secure points, so the aim is to achieve the same in Germany next weekend.

    The next couple of races before the summer break are on very different tracks. We need to work hard, and do as much as possible to adapt our set-up for each of them to maximize our chances. We know this weekend won’t be an easy track for us but we’ll give it our best as always.”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “Although it’s the only Grand Prix on the current calendar that I haven’t raced at in Formula 1, I did race at Hockenheim in GP2 and got a podium, so there’s definitely good memories there for me.

    We know that the Hockenheimring is a challenging track, with long, fast straights that require a lot of power and also a slower, tighter section at the end of the lap where you need good car balance and traction out of the corners.

    The addition of the third DRS zone will mix things up a bit and the extra overtaking opportunity will hopefully mean an exciting race, where we can have some good battles for the fans. The German crowd really love their motorsport so I think there’ll be a great atmosphere there after two years away.”

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German GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - ”Hockenheim is a track that I have driven many times – in Formula One, as well as in GP2 and Formula 3 when I was younger. It is a nice track. The biggest challenge is the last sector which can make or break your lap. It is important to have good speed in the straights and work your way through the hairpins in the first half of the lap well. There are usually a lot of Swedish fans attending this Grand Prix, so I hope to see many of them again this year. Their support is always great. As a team, we see a good trend in our performance, having been more and more competitive with each race weekend. I look forward to bouncing back and fighting for good results again at Hockenheim.”

Charles Leclerc - “The Hockenheimring is a circuit that I know well, especially from my time in Formula 3. It is quite a technical track, with an impressive stadium that is usually filled with many spectators. I really look forward to going back there – it is great to have the German Grand Prix back on the calendar. Hopefully we can build on the progress we have made in the last few races, and keep fighting for points.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
No copyright infringement intended - Quotes belong to Drivers
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German GP: Circuit Preview

GERMAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW 

Name: Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg

Location: Am Motodrom, Hockenheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Opened: May 29th, 1932

Length: 2.842 Miles

Capacity: 120,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 17

Race Laps: 67

2016 STATS

Pole Position: Nico Rosberg

1st Place: Lewis Hamilton

2nd Place: Daniel Ricciardo

3rd Place: Max Verstappen

Retirements: Felipe Massa (Suspension) & Felipe Nasr (Power Unit)

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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German GP: Track Schedule

GERMAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE 

July 19th / Thursday

15:00 - 16:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

16:00 - 18:00 - Public Pit-Lane Walk & Track Tours (3-Day-Ticket-Holders Only)

18:00 - 18:30 - Pit-Lane Walk (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

18:30 - 19:30 - Truck Tour (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

July 20th / Friday

08:30 - 09:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

11:00 - 12:30 - Free Practice #1

13:00 - 14:00 - Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

13:45 - 14:15 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:45 - 14:15 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:30 - Free Practice #2

19:00 - 19:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

19:00 - 19:45 - Marshal Pit-Lane Walk

July 21st / Saturday

08:30 - 09:00 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

09:00 - 09:30 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

09:10 - 09:30 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

12:00 - 13:00 - Free Practice #3

13:15 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:15 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

15:00 - 16:00 - Qualifying

18:00 - 19:00 - Fan Forum - Fan Zone (TBC)

18:30 - 19:00 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

July 22nd / Sunday

08:50 - 09:20 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:15 - 14:05 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:25 - 13:55 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

13:30 - 14:00 - Drivers Track Parade

14:00 - 14:15 - Starting Grid Presentation

14:54 - 14:56 - National Anthem

15:10 - 17:10 - Race

* - Subject to change

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Written By: Amy Hawk

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F1 2018 Calendar Revealed

2018 CALENDAR REVEALED

    The 2018 Formula One calendar has been revealed after being approved by the FIA World Motorsport Council.

    France has returned to the calendar after more than a decade of absence, as has Germany, which did not feature on the 2017 or 2015 calendars.

    “We are proud to confirm that the German and French Grand Prix will take place in 2018,” F1 CEO Chase Carey said. “France was one of the seven races that made up the first ever World Championship in 1950 and it now returns after a decade. It will be held at the Paul Ricard circuit, which last hosted a round of the F1 championship in 1990.”

    Drivers will compete at 21 races next season, including  three back to back races in Europe.

    “The number of races has increased by one compared to the current season,” Carey said. “We received numerous requests from those wishing to host a F1 Grand Prix but we wanted the existing promoters to feel that we are putting all our efforts into ensuring that each race is a special event, so that the fans, our most important stakeholders, can enjoy a unique and experience. If we can do that, then the entire Formula 1 family will reap the benefit.”

    The 2018 season will begin in late March in Australia, followed again by China and Bahrain.
The Azerbaijan GP has been moved forwards to the fourth race on the calendar in late April, and starts the European section of the calendar. Spain and Monaco will follow, before the F1 circus heads to Canada.

    The first French GP in a decade will be held in late June. It will be the first of three back to back headers, with the Austrian and British GPs taking place on the following weekends.
Rounds 11 and 12 in Germany and Hungary in late July are also back to back and will be followed by the summer break.

    After the summer break, the F1 circus heads to Spa in late August. Monza ends the European rounds.

    F1 heads back to Asia for the Singapore and Russian GPs in September before heading to Suzuka for the Japanese GP at the start of October.

    There have been plenty of talks of introducing more races in the US, but there is still only one US GP on the calendar. Austin once again hosts F1 in early October, and will be followed by the Mexico and Brazilian GPs.

    The season ends in late November in Abu Dhabi.

1 – 25th March – Melbourne – Australia
2 – 8th April – Shanghai – China
3 – 15th April – Sakhir – Bahrain
4 – 29th April – Baku – Azerbaijan
5 – 13th May – Barcelona – Spain
6 – 27th May – Monte Carlo – Monaco
7 – 10th June – Montreal – Canada
8 – 24th June – Le Castellet – France
9 – 1st July – Spielberg – Austria
10 – 8th July – Silverstone – Great Britain
11 – 22nd July – Hockenheim – Germany
12 – 29th July – Budapest – Hungary
13 – 26th August – Spa-Francorchamps – Belgium
14 – 2nd September – Monza – Italy
15 – 16th September – Singapore – Singapore
16 – 30th September – Sochi – Russia
17 – 7th October – Suzuka – Japan
18 – 21st October – Austin – USA
19 – 28th October – Mexico City – Mexico
20 – 11th November  - Sao Paulo – Brazil
21 – 25th November – Yas Marina – Abu Dhabi

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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