Hamilton wins German GP, solidifies F1 lead

PAUL LOGOTHETIS

Associated Press

Sunday, Jul. 20, 2008

HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix on Sunday, solidifying his lead in the Formula One standings with two dramatic passes that made up for a strategic blunder by his McLaren team.

Hamilton overtook Ferrari's Felipe Massa and then runner-up Nelson Piquet Jr. of Renault at the same hairpin after a crash involving Timo Glock had brought out a safety car that nearly cost the McLaren driver his fourth victory of the season.

Most teams chose to pit when the safety car was out, but McLaren left its star driver out only to see him fall to fifth place when he pitted with 17 laps to race.

But Hamilton, who now leads Massa by four points in the overall standings, worked his way through the field before nudging past the Ferrari driver from the inside at turn No. 6 and then holding off Massa's outside challenge soon after.

Piquet Jr., who earned his first career podium after starting from 17th, couldn't hold off Hamilton when the 23-year-old Briton closed in at the same corner three laps later.

"Sorry we had to make it a little bit difficult for you," McLaren team principal Ron Dennis told Hamilton over the radio. "Absolutely fantastic job."

Hamilton, who earned his eighth career win in 27 races, replied with a chuckle.

After the race, he admitted being a bit baffled by the call.

"I think we probably should have come in, (but) at the end of the day I don't always know what's happening (in the garage)," he said. "Perhaps we could have done a better job. It just made my job a little harder."

It was Hamilton's second straight victory, coming after his win at the British GP on July 6.

In securing Renault's first top-three finish of the season, Picquet Jr. also put two Brazilians on the podium for the first time since 1991, when his father Nelson Piquet finished third at Belgium behind winner Ayrton Senna.

"I was so concentrated, I just wanted to look forward. I didn't want to spend too much time looking at how many laps but just focusing," the 22-year-old driver said. "It was an incredible feeling."

Ferrari was a step behind rival McLaren all weekend.

Massa's car lacked the pace and grip to hold off Hamilton, and high temperatures in the brakes kept the 27-year-old driver from challenging Piquet Jr. down the stretch.

"I didn't have the car to fight. It was not possible today," Massa said. "The last stint I had some problems with the brakes. ... That lost performance a lot."

With world champion Kimi Raikkonen, Massa's teammate, finishing sixth, Ferrari principal Stefano Domenicali said the Italian team must sort out its problems before the next GP at Hungary on Aug. 3.

"We were too slow and we need to understand why," Domenicali said.

Nick Heidfeld worked his way up from 12th to finish fourth ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, who helped Hamilton at the hairpin by letting his teammate get by easily when he was chasing the leaders with the laps counting down.

Raikkonen trails Hamilton by seven points, while Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber is 10 behind after finishing seventh. Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso earned the last point.

Glock was accelerating through turn No. 12 when his rear suspension appeared to snap. His Toyota spun across the track and went backward into the opposite wall at high speed. The 26-year-old German emerged clutching his back and was taken to the hospital.

He was being kept overnight for observation, but should be able to drive in Hungary, the team said.

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