It is going to be a long four weeks until the next round of the Formula One season, the Belgian Grand Prix, takes place on August 28 for Nico Rosberg.
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Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo won the inter-team Red Bull battle, securing the runners-up spot, 6.9secs off Hamilton, and 6.5secs up on Max Verstappen in the sister auto, despite dropping behind the Dutchman at the start.
Daniel Ricciardo applauded Red Bull’s recent turnaround after recording an “awesome” podium alongside teammate Max Verstappen at the German Grand Prix.
Hamilton took his sixth win of the year at the German Grand Prix in dominant style, passing Rosberg, who was on pole position, at the start and controlling the race from there to the end.
Lewis Hamilton said the turnaround in form that had led to him opening a 19-point lead in the championship was “kind of crazy”.
Since making his debut with HRT at the 2011 British Grand Prix, the Aussie has moved up the F1 ladder, taking three race victories during his debut year with four-time world champions Red Bull Racing in 2014.
“It was just about keeping it cool and looking after the engine”, Hamilton said after his third German GP win.
Verstappen overtook Ricciardo from the outside as they raced into the first corner but Ricciardo later regained the second place to finish 6.9 seconds behind Hamilton, who covered the 67 laps on the 4.574km track in 1 hour, 30:44.200 minutes. The Ferraris were a lonely fifth and sixth, having never really been in the game – and they now trail Red Bull in the standings.
Rosberg fought back however, and at mid-distance dived down the inside of Verstappen for second at the hairpin – only for the stewards to decide he had forced the Dutchman off track, and therefore deserved a penalty which dropped him back to fourth.
This left Ricciardo free to race into second place and made some attempt to chase down Hamilton, who was a further nine seconds down the road. Finishing fourth was down to the penalty. “I was very surprised to get that penalty”, a downbeat Rosberg said later. “I’ve spoken to multiple different former drivers and they all pretty much agree [that Rosberg was harshly treated]”. Team chief Toto Wolff blamed the delay on a faulty stopwatch.
“It’s just one more of those things when a day goes completely wrong, and all those things come together”, the German driver said. “That will take me some time to digest”.
Speaking about the incident with Rosberg, Verstappen felt the Mercedes driver deliberately didn’t leave him room. “I could still see his hands going straight so l don’t know if that is full lock”.
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Rosberg dived late for the inside into Turn Six, as Verstappen moved to the right to defend in the braking zone – a manoeuvre which he has made something of a trademark, to the anger of the other drivers, who feel it breaks a gentleman’s agreement between them about a risky tactic.
