After Sebastian Vettel won an entertaining British Grand Prix to extend his championship lead, round 11 of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship this weekend returns to Germany and the Hockenheimring following a one-year absence from the F1 calendar for the Formula 1 Emirates Grosser Preis Von Deutschland 2018. This will be the 77^th running of the German Grand Prix and the 63^rd time the event has been run as part of the Formula One World Championship.

 

 

A look at the Hockenheimring

 

 

The Hockenheimring is a permanent racing circuit located in the Rhine Valley near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, situated on Bertha Benz Memorial Route.

 

The original Hockenheimring circuit was built in 1932 using roads in the forest as an alternative to the Wildpark-Circuit in Karlsruhe which was abandoned by German officials. The Hockenheimring was used for motorcycle racing and in 1936 was expanded as a test track for Mercedes and the Auto Union for the two manufacturers to prepare for the Tripoli Grand Prix.

 

The original circuit was 7.738 kilometres long and featured two long straights with a long “Eastern” corner in the forest and a U-turn inside Hockenheim joining them together.

 

When World War II broke out the construction was stopped and in the post-war years the Nürburgring became the home for Formula One racing in Germany, with Hockenheim hosting motorcycle racing and the German Motorcycle Grand Prix alternating with Hockenheim and other circuits.

 

In 1965 when the new Autobahn A 6 separated the village from the main part of the circuit, a new version of the Hockenheimring was approved with the “Motordrom” stadium section, the government supplied Hockenheim was given a large compensation payout. This money was used to build a new 6.823-kilometre track, the now famous Hockenheimring circuit, which went through the forest before looping into the spectacular stadium section around where large grandstands were built.

 

In 1968 tragedy struck when two-time World Champion and Indy 500 winner Jim Clark was killed there in a Formula 2 race and two fast chicanes were added along with crash barriers around the entire track. With the long Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit quickly becoming outdated and drivers at the French Grand Prix plotting to boycott the Nürburgring unless changes were made, Formula One returned to the Hockenheimring in 1970. Once the Nürburgring-Nordschleife was modernised, the sport returned there until 1976.

 

But after three-time world champion Niki Lauda suffered a horrific crash and burns at the Nürburgring in 1976, Hockenheim once again became the home of the German Grand Prix from 1977-2006 with the exception of the 1985 event which was held at the newly configured Nürburgring. The Hockenheimring too however, saw more dangers follow. In 1980 when testing for Alfa Romero, Patrick Depailler was killed at the circuit, and a slower chicane was installed to break up the fast Ostkurve corner, meanwhile in 1982 Ferrari’s Didier Pironi suffered a violent crash into the back of Alain Prost’s Renault and sustained terrible injuries to his legs.

 

In the early 2000’s, F1 officials demanded that the 6.823km circuit be shortened and threatened to abandon racing there. The state government of Baden-Wurttemberg secured the financing for the redesign by German Architect Hermann Tilke. In 2002 the circuit layout was majorly changed, and the fast-long straights were ditched. Despite arguments from several drivers and team principals including Ron Dennis, Jarno Trulli and Juan Pablo Montoya and heavy criticism from the fans that the circuit had lost its character, the first race on the new layout was considered a great success and the venue has remained on the F1 calendar ever since.

 

In July 2006, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone announced from 2007 onwards that there would only be one Grand Prix per year in Germany. Since the 1995 World Championship, there were two Grands Prix every year in Germany with the German Grand Prix held at Hockenheim and either the Luxembourg or European Grands Prix at the Nürburgring. From 2007, the Nürburgring and Hockenheimring alternated hosting the German Grand Prix, starting with the Nürburgring in 2007.

 

With ongoing deficits from hosting Formula One Grands Prix, and up to 5.3 million Euro per race which was covered by the local taxpayer put the contract between the Hockenheimring and Formula One Management under increased pressure and would not be extended after the 2010 event. However, in October 2009, the contract for the Hockenheimring to continue to host the German Grand Prix was extended until 2018, with the Formula One Group agreeing to cover the losses the event has. Last year, neither the Nürburgring nor the Hockenheimring hosted the 2015 German Grand Prix event after the circuits failed to reach an agreement with commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and the event was cancelled.

 

The current Hockenheimring circuit layout is 4.574km (2.842 miles) in length and runs in a clockwise direction with 17 corners.

 

Race distance is 306.458km (190.433 miles) in length with 67 laps in total.

 

Kimi Raikkonen holds the fastest lap record on the current Hockenheimring circuit layout set at the 2004 event with a 1:13.780 in his McLaren-Mercedes MP4-19.

 

Rudolf Caracciola holds the record for most German Grand Prix victories with six to his name.

 

Scuderia Ferrari is the most successful constructor at the German Grand Prix with 22 victories.

 

The Last Five Winners

 

 

2017: Not held. 2016: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2015: Not Held. 2014: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1. 2013: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing. 2012: Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari. 2011: Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes.

 

Tyres

 

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to Germany the purple side-walled Ultrasofts, the yellow-branded Soft and white-marked Medium compounds along with the green-branded Intermediates and the blue-marked Full Wets in case of rain.

 

Championship leaders Ferrari and rivals Mercedes have selected seven sets of the ultrasofts for both of their drivers but have opted for a split of the more durable tyres on offer.

 

Title contenders Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton both have two sets of the Medium rubber whilst Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas will have only one set of the harder tyres on offer – but the two Finnish drivers have chosen five sets of the softer compounds to their respective team-mates four sets.

 

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen follows Vettel and Hamilton’s approach for the German Grand Prix selecting seven sets of ultrasofts, whilst team-mate Daniel Ricciardo will have an extra set of the ultrasoft rubber available to him, but the Australian has one set less of softs compared to the Dutchman.

 

Red Bull are the only team in the field to select a different number of ultrasofts for it’s two RB14 racers, although all the other teams – except for McLaren and Toro Rosso – have gone with the same allocations for both of their respective drivers.

 

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz have opted for a more aggressive approach with 10 sets of the ultrasofts, whilst Williams are the second most extreme in the field with its tyre choices choosing nine sets of ultras for Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin.

 

DRS Zones

There will be three DRS Zones at the Hockenheimring with the first detection point at the exit of turn four with the first activation zone 140 metres after turn four. The second and third zones share the same detection point, 20 metres after turn 16. The second activation zone is 55 metres after turn 17, while the third is 55 metres after the first corner.

 

Pitlane Speeds

Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

 

ICYMI: British GP Rewind – Vettel wins thrilling British Grand Prix, extends title lead

 

 

Sebastian Vettel passed Valtteri Bottas in the closing stages to win an entertaining British Grand Prix which saw Lewis Hamilton charge to second after being spun on the opening lap.

 

Mercedes used the safety car to get Bottas in-front of race leader Vettel, but the German used his fresh set of soft tyres to snatch the victory with a great move down the end of the Wellington Straight into Brooklands with five laps remaining.

 

Hamilton then made the move by Silver Arrows team-mate Bottas in the same spot a lap later to take second and Kimi Raikkonen relegated his fellow Finnish compatriot off the podium with a hat-trick of late overtakes at Brooklands.

 

How the British GP unfolded

 

 

Polesitter Hamilton fell to the back of the pack at the start after being spun by Raikkonen who locked his front-right tyre at the turn three Village corner and tangled the Mercedes.

 

The Finn continued behind the two Red Bulls but was hit with a 10 second time penalty, which revoked his move on Daniel Ricciardo into Copse corner whilst Hamilton was in 17^th place.

 

Vettel took a great lead after flying passed Hamilton off the line and built a comfortable gap in the opening part of his first stint, making a six second lead over Bottas.

 

Hamilton pushed his way into the points by lap six and got into sixth four laps later, which saw the Briton already more than a pit-stop distance behind the leader.

 

Bottas began to slowly close the gap on at Vettel as his SF71H racer struggled on it’s tyres and the lead dropped to 4.8 seconds when the German pitted from the lead on lap 20.

 

He came in a lap later, and Mercedes made the call for Hamilton to let the Finn by with a clean swap at Brooklands on the next lap, and Bottas started to eat into Vettel’s gap.

 

Bottas brought the lead down to 2.4 seconds when Marcus Ericsson lost the rear of his Ferrari-powered C37 when he turned with DRS wide open and flew across the gravel and into the tyre wall.

 

That deployed the safety car with 20 laps remaining and Ferrari took advantage by pitting Vettel, but Mercedes kept Bottas out to claim the lead.

 

Behind the leaders, Hamilton was promoted to third as Verstappen and Raikkonen pitted, with Ricciardo remaining in sixth place just as the safety car was called right after he made his final stop and gave track position to Raikkonen.

 

Bottas hit full-throttle at the end of the Hangar Straight on lap 37 and held Vettel behind, as Raikkonen and Verstappen fought in a great battle which went in the favour of the Red Bull.

 

The race was once again equalised when an accident at Copse corner between Renault’s Carlos Sainz and Haas F1 Team’s Romain Grosjean, when Sainz charged on the outside but Grosjean wobbled at the apex.

 

Both slid into the gravel and retired, with Grosjean ending a gloomy race that saw the Frenchman fall out of the points on the first lap thanks to a clash with Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

 

The safety car’s second period lasted three laps, giving the field an 11-lap dash until the end.

 

Bottas kept his cool with Vettel at the restart before falling under pressure into Brooklands at the end of the Wellington Straight for three consecutive laps.

 

He held the lead until lap 47, when Vettel saw the opportunity of a small wobble from the Mercedes exiting Aintree corner onto the Wellington Straight and got into the slipstream on the rundown towards Brooklands before making the move stick onto the inside very late as Bottas failed to cover the Ferrari.

 

Vettel took the lead and held on until the end to claim his 51^st career victory, while Hamilton made his way passed Bottas at the same corner lap later.

 

Raikkonen went by Verstappen before the Dutchman retired due to a brake-by-wire failure then flew ahead of Bottas around the outside at Brooklands corner with DRS assistance and grabbing third place.

 

Bottas kept Ricciardo behind to settle for fourth, with Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg finishing sixth after jumping five places during a crazy start to the Grand Prix.

 

Force India’s Esteban Ocon came home in seventh place and in-front of McLaren’s Fernando Alonso who had a fiery encounter with Magnussen at the end and kept eighth place.

 

Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 and took the final point on offer.

 

The other Force India of Sergio Perez ended the race in 11^th place and ahead of McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne who was 12^th and the two FW41 Williams of Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin who finished at the rear.

 

 

The Situation

 

 

Sebastian Vettel returns to his home Grand Prix sitting on top of the Driver’s Championship with 171 points and an eight-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton who is second on 163 points while Kimi Raikkonen is a further 55 points behind his Ferrari team-mate in third on 116 points.

 

Ferrari comes to the Hockenheimring on top of the Constructors Championship with 287 points and 20 points ahead of nearest rival Mercedes who is second on 267 points while Red Bull Racing are a further 88 points behind the Scuderia in third on 199 points.

 

2018 Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship Standings

1. Sebastian Vettel – 171 Points.
2. Lewis Hamilton – 163 Points.
3. Kimi Raikkonen – 116 Points.
4. Daniel Ricciardo – 106 Points.
5. Valtteri Bottas – 104 Points.
6. Max Verstappen – 93 Points.
7. Nico Hulkenberg – 42 Points.
8. Fernando Alonso – 40 Points.
9. Kevin Magnussen – 39 Points.
10. Carlos Sainz – 28 Points.

 

2018 World Constructors Championship Standings

1. Scuderia Ferrari – 287 Points.
2. Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport – 267 Points.
3. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing – 199 Points.
4. Renault Sport F1 Team – 70 Points.
5. Haas F1 Team – 51 Points.
6. Sahara Force India F1 Team – 48 Points.
7. McLaren-Renault F1 Team – 48 Points.
8. Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda – 20 Points.
9. Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team – 16 Points.
10. Williams Martini Racing – 4 Points.

 

The Formula 1 Emirates Grosser Preis Von Deutschland 2018 weekend begins Friday July 20 with Free Practice 1 and 2, then Free Practice 3 and Qualifying Saturday July 21 and the 67 lap Race Sunday July 22.