German Grand Prix 2019
There’s something about the German-speaking nations that has brought out the best in Max Verstappen — and the worst in Mercedes — this season. After winning an exciting Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen has now claimed two victories in the last three races after he came out on top in a thrilling German Grand Prix.
And much like in Austria, Mercedes did not fare too well despite their favourable German Grand Prix 2019 odds. Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton couldn’t keep up with the others as he fell from pole to finish in ninth after committing a costly error. Meanwhile, team-mate Valtteri Bottas was one of six retirements caused in part by the wet conditions.
Ferrari also finished with just one driver as Charles Leclerc crashed out. But team-mate Sebastian Vettel starred on his home race as he stormed from 20th all the way to second.
Highlights of the game
It was business as usual for Mercedes in qualifying. Hamilton claimed another pole while Bottas was third behind Verstappen. However, qualifying was disastrous for Ferrari as both drivers were beset by mechanical issues.
Vettel couldn’t even register a time in Q1 and had to start at the very back of the grid. Meanwhile, Leclerc also suffered a costly problem in Q3 which saw him end up in 10th.
Once the race got underway, both Mercedes and Ferrari drivers got off to great starts amid the wet track. While Hamilton got away well, Bottas quickly overtook Verstappen for second. Vettel immediately jumped up six places and Leclerc went from 10th to sixth.
It didn’t take long for the first of many safety cars to arrive. Sergio Perez crashed into the wall in lap 2, which led to some early pit stops.
By lap 6, Vettel had already gone up to eighth but was still around 17 seconds behind the leader Hamilton, who was setting a blistering pace at the top. Leclerc was also busy burning up the track to close in on the leading trio.
The next round of pit stops took place by lap 25, with Vettel going with the soft tyres and Verstappen on the intermediates.
Leclerc climbed up to third after Verstappen’s stop, but disaster struck for the Monegasque just a few laps later as he went wide and crashed into the wall.
That was only the start of the drama, though, as Hamilton went off at the exact same spot Leclerc did on the very next lap. While Hamilton managed to stay on, he needed to go into the pits to repair his damaged front wing. Bottas also went into the pits while the safety car was still out, which saw Verstappen take control of the lead.
Once the race resumed, Hamilton wasted little time roaring back up the grid, although he was slapped with a five-second penalty. By lap 39, he had climbed back up to third, 11 seconds behind Verstappen.
Another crash — this time Nico Hulkenberg on lap 41 — leads to another safety car and another set of pits. Hamilton subsequently went in to pit himself and served out his five-second penalty.
As if that wasn’t enough, Hamilton made another miscue on lap 53 which saw him spin off the track and return to the pits. And a few laps later, Mercedes’ luck worsened when Bottas spun out of the race while trying to break into the top four.
With just five laps left, the top five was unbelievably composed of Verstappen, Daniil Kyvaat, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Vettel.
But the four-time world champion wouldn’t be denied a remarkable podium finish in front of his home fans as he made up three places in those final few laps to finish second behind Verstappen. There were too many German Grand Prix 2019 highlights to count, but Vettel’s brilliant drive at the end stands outs among all the others.
Key statistics
Vettel is the third driver to go from 20th all the way to second in the last nine races at Hockenheim.
Lance Stroll’s fourth-place finish is Racing Point’s best-ever F1 result and the Canadian’s second-ever top-five finish.
Hamilton rose to ninth from 11th after Alfa Romeo drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi were handed 30-second penalties. Hamilton earned two points, extending his points-scoring streak to 23 races.
Meanwhile, Robert Kubica finished 10th to score his first point of the season after an eight-year hiatus.
What’s next?
It’s off to the Hungaroring for the next race on the F1 calendar — the Hungarian Grand Prix — this weekend. Check out SBOBET later in the week for odds on those race.
Hamilton will be eager to bounce back following his disastrous time at Hockenheim, and the Hungaroring will be the perfect track to do so. The Briton owns the record for most Hungarian GP wins with six, including last season.
However, Vettel has been a thorn in Hamilton’s side in recent years, having won in Hungary twice, most recently in 2017.
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