german grand prix german grand prix formally formula motor race held july germany 10th race formula season contested laps won team starting pole position finished second ferrari hamilton maintained advantage led pit stop lap cars pit stops hamilton regained lead lap lap crashed race deployment safety car hamilton stop strategy stop fuel period cars eventually stop lap rejoined race fifth position closing stages race hamilton overtook teammate finally whilst gaining position late pit stop allowed lead lap maintained win race victory hamilton second consecutive win having won preceding british grand prix win ahead main rivals drivers championship finished sixth equal points race race points ahead seven ahead championship drew closer teams ahead ferrari ferrari led points drivers finished fourth seventh respectively report background grand prix contested drivers teams teams known ferrari force india toyota williams prior race led drivers championship jointly points fourth points teammate fifth points championship ferrari leading points points ahead stage ahead despite hamilton tying lead drivers world championship low point score toyota fourth points ahead point turn point ahead hamilton won preceding seconds championship rivals finished fourth retired nightmare race spinning times finishing 13th run hamilton tested new wing introduced extensively team pre race test session circuit having car setup liking initially finding handling difficult race comfortable car handling ran greater wing angle produce expense having run larger reduced produced car led slight reduction car overall performance technical developments ferrari introduced revised exhaust exits altered car added turning nose toyota removed exhaust exits introduced new chassis changes carried aim improving car aerodynamic performance practice qualifying practice sessions held sunday race friday saturday friday morning afternoon sessions lasted minutes session held saturday morning lasted hour practice session track wet following early morning rain shortly session started precipitation track begin dry session progressed hamilton fastest session ahead teammate came fifth respectively fourth place spun track mechanical problem end session ended result problems friday second session held dry conditions hamilton set fastest time improved second positions pushing fourth set fifth fastest time earlier having electrical clutch problems car rest final practice session saturday held dry conditions fastest ahead teammate hamilton continued strong practice form finishing fourth making fifth position table time transmission problem qualifying session saturday afternoon split parts ran minutes cars finished session 16th lower eliminated qualifying second qualifying lasted minutes eliminated cars finished positions final qualifying determined positions tenth decided pole position cars failed final session refuel race ran lighter sessions cars competed final session qualifying allowed refuel race carried fuel previous sessions hamilton took pole position ninth time career lap time having beaten tenths second final lap session coming error run qualified taking fourth position close fifth sixth positions seconds separating took comfortable seventh half second quicker session eighth placed completed took 11th place grid toyota seven places teammate immediately took 14th 15th positions respectively button later said suffered tyre problems session completing field 16th 17th 18th whilst force adrian brought rear grid 19th 20th positions later complained blocked session run lap unsettled little felt fined system qualifying approved race start hamilton maintained grid positions hamilton quickly began pull away cars rate half second lap leading trio passed grid went pass turn attempted pass delayed drivers fight fourth position continued early stages race ran wide final corner lap allowing attempt overtaking manoeuvre toyota main straight held position instead passed moving sixth position field spun williams recovered track continued race round pit stops hamilton lead nearly seconds longer drivers points scoring positions pitted lap coming pits hamilton error passed drivers nearly collided hamilton holding rest lap waiting pit teammate stayed track longer drivers meaning pitted actually position rejoined race eighth hamilton regained lead lap pit stops region second lead half way stage race leaders fourth placed beginning catch battled final point scoring places 36th lap right rear suspension failed coming final corner spun degrees hitting pit wall strong impact debris flying track car pointing wrong way rolled stop grass extracted treated medical centre safety car deployed accident pit lane opened lap drivers headed including leaders hamilton believed hamilton fuel stay plan rapidly pull away heavily rivals safety car went hamilton needed build lead rejoin position following final pit stop prove risky rejoined fourth position finish stop strategy poor qualifying performance pitted immediately prior safety car deployment end race promoted place 14th following pit stops set lead hamilton pitted safety car conditions pitted final stops past pit exit pushing white line separating pit lane exit track complained radio action taken driver dropped places 11th having queue second pit stops safety car came lap hamilton led running second oil couple laps picking debris crash lap pulled race quickly passed overtook way hamilton desperately tried pull away passed laps later overtook fifth place collided 48th lap cars pitting repairs retired laps later damage sustained result incident hamilton pitted lap coming let teammate past lap later meaning hamilton fourth lap set new fastest lap time driver minute seconds grand prix end following lap entered pits gap returning field comfortably ahead hamilton hamilton speed allowed quickly catch second position lead seconds lap hamilton passed appeared inside line covered fully committed line braking zone giving hamilton chance second position laps later similar overtaking overtake driver greater fight hamilton led easily finish kept seconds threatened slowing laps able pass sixth place lap hamilton took flag enthusiastically celebrated drive 17th second seconds held ahead secured eighth points scoring position ahead ninth 10th finished 11th ahead 13th 14th 16th button classified finishers 17th record sixteen drivers finished lead lap beating previous highest number fourteen belgian grand prix post race following podium ceremony brazilian drivers participated time belgian grand prix finishers appeared press conference hamilton said decision pit stop safety car period team decision comfortable decent team opted stay guess thought pull gap second gap needed seven laps don know worked hamilton added felt things looked good rest season stating continue momentum got looking good team principal commented pit stop decision deployment safety car presented difficult decision bring lewis decided lot fuel board leave lap expected track cleared debris little faster allowed safety car come bit earlier result lewis unable rejoin race lead delighted drive second qualifying 17th saying obviously happy qualifying yesterday thinking weekend opted aggressive strategy race team great decisions safety car came concentrate pace look tyres possible end race knew lewis faster want pointless risks second place today great reward team result director subsequently praised stepping job staying leaders final stint race commented car good order race slow difficult stability braking think little problem lost lot performance didn car fight tried possible struggled low grip hot brakes duration race problems tyres seconds lead cars safety car period dropped 14th 16th position issued following statement decision safety car deployed driver car chose enter pits cars overtake shown timing monitors having driver car leaving treatment crash caused toyota concern toyota think normal procedure followed crashes drivers normally taken car seat hauled stayed hospital overnight observation released day injuries toyota subsequently confirmed failed suspension component completed race distance previous grand prix resolved adjust checking procedures new gap hamilton drivers championship race stood points hamilton favour championship somewhat caught ferrari gap teams points points coming race deficit reduced race result classification qualifying race championship standings race note positions included sets standings
2008 German Grand Prix