The German Grand Prix - Highlights Formula 1

Hi there welcome to a chance to reflect on the 2011 German Grand

Prix from the Nurburgring. Here at the the circuit which is the second

highest on the Formula One calendar, the weather is unpredictable. It

has been an unpredictable season apart from the man at the front.

Sebastian Vettel has been leading and all the others have been

fighting it for second place. Mark Webber occupies that spot at the

Webber occupies that spot at the moment. This is how things looked

in the constructor's Championship. So all the action coming your way,

but first here is Leigh with what happened in a dramatic qualifying

session. Sebastian Vettel has dominated qualifying this season x

-- but could he do it in front of his home crowd. First German out

was Timo Glock who made hids thoughts clear -- his thoughts

clear do his Virgin team. It is so difficult to drive. Paul di Resta

has outqualified his team mate this season, yesterday, Adrian Sutil was

too quick. But Paul di Resta thinks force India's policy hampered his

performance. It is Force India's policy, the management have taken

that decision. Ace said yesterday, it was closer, but it has done me

damage. I will need to tray and go for it in the race. Ferrari and

Fernando Alonso had been fighting at the front all weekend and looked

likely to challenge for pole. But far from being disappointed,

Fernando Alonso said he was where he expected to be. I don't know why

you're disappointed with our performance, but the practice is

practice, qualifying is when everyone shows the potential.

was mixed fortunes for McLaren, Jenson Button hated to /- had to

pull out of his final lap. Strange we can't find the grip out there.

To be in seventh is surprising. Also to be 1.1 seconds belandlady

Lewis, something is not quite right. -- behind Lewis, something is not

quite right. But Lewis Hamilton battled hard and ended up just five

hundredth of a second off pole. was as perfect as I could do it. I

don't know how I could make it more perfect. It was one of best lapse I

have done NQ3 usually your first lap is good and to g back out, you

go beyond the limit and usually go slower. But I went four tenths

faster. I don't know where I found that. That left two, the charging

Red Bulls. One German who would love to win his Grand Prix and an

Australian who has previously tamed the Nurburgring and wouldn't mind

spoiling the party again. Vob put in an electrifying lap, leaving

Sebastian Vettel to settle for third. I'm not disappointed, we had

a tricky day yesterday, and I wasn't quite happy with the balance.

I think we did a good job to come back. I was faeling more come

forable today. I was happy with my last lap. We made a change across

Q2 into Q36789 the engineers did a sensational job and the polis for

them. I wouldn't have got that without the adjustments to the car.

So Mark Webber starts at the the front for the third time this year,

with Lewis Hamilton alongside. The Ferraris are fourth and fifth with

Jenson Button pus puzzled with his lack of speed in seventh. Paul di

Resta is 12th with the Williams beHein. Sebastien Buemi qualified

16th, but moves to the back of the grid after a fuel sample didn't

match the bun to the FIA. Karun Chandhock is in for Jarno Trulli

for his Grand Prix and Vitantonio Liuzzi starts in 23rd. MARTIN

BRUNDLE: Round ten of the Formula One Championship. Six German

drivers, a quarter of this grid, all hoping for home glory. The

lights have been on for three and a half seconds for all of the support

races. And they come on one at a time. There they're. Four, five one,

two three and a half, go! The German Grand Prix is under way. It

is neck and neck, but Lewis Hamilton in the second face of the

-- phase of the start takes the lead. Mark Webber nit -- in a

Ferrari sandwich. Fernando Alonso is ahead of Mark Webber. Lewis

Hamilton leads from Sebastian Vettel. Sorry Lewis Hamilton leads

from Mark Webber. Then Sebastian Vettel. Rosberg is in there as well.

Fernando Alonso will not yield. There is a spinner at the back.

That is at turn three. Who was that? A lot going on in the

background. There then is Jenson Button up the inside of Michael

Schumacher. So another poor getaway for Jenson Button. He has lost

places off the grid and Lewis Hamilton leads from Mark Webber,

Fernando Alonso. It may have been Paul di Resta that had the spin.

I'm looking at the track map. We have Heidfeld and Paul di Resta.

the back, Michael Schumacher in the thick of the traffic and so we

think that Fernando Alonso is between the two Red Bulls still.

Lewis Hamilton from Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel.

And we're watching the midfield. There is Rubens Barrichello in

front of Kobayashi. That is for eleventh and 12th. Look at the lead

that Lewis Hamilton has got from Mark Webber and then Fernando

Alonso and then Sebastian Vettel, Rosberg, Massa, Sutil, Michael

Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Kobayashi, Pastor Maldonado. And

that takes us down to 13th place. Lewis Hamilton will lead at the end

of the first lap. It is 60 laps for the Grand Prix. And down into the

heavy brake zone for turn one they file. In a long line. 24 hours

still running. But Heidfeld and Paul di Resta right at the back.

There must have been contact with them. There then is Fernando Alonso.

Off the race track. Into turn three, he has been passed by Sebastian

Vettel. He is on the kerb on that long turn two. He lost the back end,

but plenty of tarmac to regain position. Thrill with be some

choice words in that cockpit. He has released Sebastian Vettel.

Rosberg is right in there as well. Adrian Sutil looking handy in

seventh. Michael Schumacher then has passed eepast Petrov on this

lap. I hope we will get a replay of that. You see the winners of the

start, Button down three places. Michael Schumacher has been a

mighty starter this year and there is Jenson Button, still down in

tenth place. Here is a replay of the start. Holding constant RPM,

start toos drop his RPM, Mark did a terrible start. He lost auto

control the longer he held position. The revs just faded away as the

moment came. I wonder if the clutch was starting to bite. Here is

Fernando Alonso. You can see the smoke coming off the tyres of Lewis

Hamilton. And that second phase, that Lewis Hamilton just flew and

then Fernando Alonso looking for the inside. We see Sebastian Vettel

locking up and the droppaway in turn one. Fernando Alonso lock up

as well, but keeping the position. Brave stuff from Fernando Alonso he

could have lost his nose. It almost like he hit the limiter before he

moved into second. Felipe Massa had a flaying start, but he had nowhere

to go and oh so close for Sebastian Vettel. Let's see if we can see, if

we follow this cam ra, hopefully, what happened later on. That is

then getting on to the water. That is sitting in the carpeted area to

dissuade the drivers from rung wide. That is where Fernando Alonso lost

third place. Sebastian Vettel has done the fastest lap of the race.

He is dealing with a lot of understeer in the Ferrari. Could be

a combination of heavy fuel, or just struggling to get tyre

temperature. Sebastian Vettel that he tenths of second faster than

Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton. have got once again Lewis Hamilton

banging in these first sectors. Again four tenths quicker than Red

Bulls. We saw from qualifying, he has such a good front end on that

McLaren. The first sector is all about front grip. You're 0.3

seconds quicker. Let's get past him. Unless he will ruin our race.

does not sound like an option that. Sounds like a firm instruction.

Fernando Alonso into turn one. He has made it and he has been quick.

That is not a DRS thing, is a -- that is a pure overtake. Sebastian

Vettel has been wearing a heavy demeanor, an unhappy face all

weekend. He has not looked as confident as he has so far this

season. What would be interesting, if we could see the use of KERS.

Wouldn't be surprised if Fernando Alonso used all his KERS into that

first corner. He is confident with the brakes. That is the sort of

thing we will see Felipe Massa try to do on Nico Rosberg. That was

extraordinary how behind he was. Maybe he gave ate full punch of

KERS. But he is still darting around. It was a bold move from

Fernando and almost caught Sebastian Vettel out. Lens lops

then up into third. -- -- Fernando Alonso up into third place. Jenson

Button's weekend is going from bad to worse. And Perez has pitted for

Sauber. He is normally the man that never wants to come in the pits. He

runs all day on the same tyres. It pays him dividends. But he has been

off the track and continued at turn ten. Maybe he has put a flat spot

into those tyres. We can't see from here. But a word on Jenson Button.

From McLaren. There noise issues with his car. We will see a --

there is no issues with the car. We can see the battle behind. That is

Paul di Resta getting down the inside. Inside Heikki Kovalinan.

That is a straight forward pass, like taking candy from a kid.

Perez, we saw a horrible flat spot. That is the reigning watch yon,

Sebastian Vettel, he has lost seven seconds in the middle sector.

Rosberg must be all over. And there he is. There is Sebastian Vettel.

Now having Rosberg for company, along with Felipe Massa. Sebastian

Vettel has made an error at turn ten. That is the chicane at the top

of the hill. And what is going wrong with the man who could make

no mistakes, who was unbeatable in teams of pace and consis tenty si.

-- consistency. He gets on the white line. That is a mistake from

Sebastian Vettel. The one rule on a damp track, is don't touch the

white lines. Fernando Alonso gets away with it. T but he gets right

on to the artificial grass where the water is and he will have flat

spots. He will be struggling to vision for his braking points with

the vibration he will have. We have Heidfeld off the road. Mr Reliable

has crashed. He is normally the man that finishes race after race.

Somewhere near the points. And that, he has had, that is clearly contact

with somebody else. That remind me of an didn't -- that reminds me of

an incidents I had with Fernando Alonso many many years ago. That

was nasty. That is a case of Sebastien Buemi not being aware of

where the other car. Heidfeld was entitled to put his car there.

Heidfeld coming back through the field. That was like you and

Fernando Alonso, except you didn't touch. That almost look like it us

fast forward. That is a scary incident. If you looked at

Sebastien Buemi, he was looking left in his mirror and he couldn't

see Heidfeld and moved over. He the track. Nick Heidfeld was given

a drive-through penalty for causing a collision. That was with Paul di

Resta, at the start of the race. He will be suspended. Some he is out

of his home Grand Prix. Massa is in position to get back now. Paul di

Resta -- Nico Rosberg will be doing the same thing, this is a battle of

aerodynamic drag and horsepower. Massa says, I have got it this time.

They will be saying on the radio, well done, son! The collision...

Nick Heidfeld is under two incidents being investigated. This

is a replay of Massa he got himself into the right track position. He

would not be intimidated and I do not know if they quite touch but

Massow takes that position. It will be -- if Felipe Massa. He is 13

seconds from the lead in fourth place. Mark Webber half a second

behind Lewis Hamilton. Your pace is still very good, the gaps are not

opening up quickly behind us, so keep looking after the tyres.

has gone too deep! Mark Webber will come through here. Lewis tries to

defend against it. Out of shape on the apex. Lewis is back and he

comes up the inside using the extra straight lines! That is just pure

speed! And Alonso watching closely. He must be loving seeing that go on.

Hamilton is back in the lead, he never wants to give up, just like

in Istanbul when him and Jenson Button were trading places. When he

is overtaken, he sees that as another opportunity to overtake.

That is fantastic. I thought he was too late at the last corner but he

was using that as an opportunity to pass. I wondered if he went to deep

into the chicane. Those transmissions on normally delayed

but he is often asleep absolutely on the edge of what that car will

do at the moment -- he is obviously absolutely. Lewis Hamilton get wide

on the first apex and that allows Mark Webber a clean run into the

turn. He uses a 10 kilometre or an hour speed advantage McLaren has. -

- 10 kilometre or an hour. opportunist driving again from

Hamilton but Mark Webber is still on top of him. And the Ferrari will

also be able to use that BRS down the back straight into the chicane.

-- DRS. And you cannot help but think they have more pace than

Hamilton. Mark Webber has track position still but is very date --

but is very wide indeed! It is now a one so he will have better

acceleration. Going up -- it is now Fernando Alonso has. Virtually

guaranteed contact driving into an -- driving into a wedge that will

disappear. He must think he can win this race. He has seen Mark Webber

battling with Lewis Hamilton and overheating his tyres. He has been

drifting it into ten macro 7. -- turn 7. Tyres soon, I think he said.

Meanwhile, at Felipe Massa is the fastest man on the track. Another

great fight going on, Sebastian Vettel holding off the second

Ferrari of Felipe Massa. And we are in lap 14 of the 60 lap race. They

have their wings wide open but are not that close to Hamilton. It

difficult breaking his own. If you break five metres too early, if you

give up seconds. Too late and you will sale of the race track. -- you

will sail away from the race track. Tie is being prepared for a Red

Bull driver. Mark Webber has pitted. No new tyres, at no new soft tyres

available. And can he gets out in front of the fight between

Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa? Nico Rosberg has pitted. Mark

Webber is now in traffic so that has not worked well in that respect.

Let's see if he can clear that Force India of Adrian Sutil to get

back into play quickly. He is trying to get full use of the new

tyres but is sitting in traffic at the moment. Still trying to make

his way past the Renault of Vitaly Petrov. I have seen a few drivers

in the support race go round the outside of that corner and make-up

some ground. Jenson Button getting increasingly frustrated I imagine

in tenth place, just Clear off Kamui Kobayashi, but miles of the

leader's pace. -- just clear. Mack this is Felipe Massa or on

Sebastian Vettel. He is hesitant but he makes it and makes the

second apex. And Mark Webber has gone down the outside, Sebastian

Vettel has gone into the pit, half- hearted stab my Lewis Hamilton has

done his pit stop and it will be a race. We have got Felipe Massa at

and Mark Webber! Mark Webber needs to make sure he does not damage his

car because he now has track position on Lewis Hamilton. And

Fernando Alonso. Felipe Massa right in the thick of the action but has

yet to make his pit stop. So the under car worked for Mark Webber.

Crucially past Adrian Sutil, he used the grip of the fresh tyre --

tyre. And he found himself some extra tax base. And he is now in

second place a. For Felipe Massa could be used strategically to help

Fernando Alonso. I do not see mechanics yet but keep an eye on

that, beneath a 15 second warning. It will be somewhere round the back

straight. Mark Webber has got fresher tyres. The Ferrari has the

straight-line speed, I do not see any Ferrari mechanics in the pit

lane so Felipe Massa will see out another lap. He has better

acceleration, but Mark Webber will lead a lap of this Grand Prix

because Felipe Massa is going to pit. And this will be fascinating

out to sea if he can pull away and create a lead while these two of

fighting. Look at the confidence Alonso has underbraking. And it

looks as though it is starting to rain. Confidence in the Ferrari

mechanics who did not come out into the pit lane until Fernando Alonso

had entered the beginning of the pit lane. We did not see that. And

look, at Mark Webber making space between him and Hamilton and

Fernando Alonso. And we are on the 18. -- turn 18. And we can see

Sebastian Vettel back on the racetrack. He has come back behind

Felipe Massa. He has just come out of the pits so Sebastian Vettel has

lost track position. So they have both pitted and it goes from bad to

worse for the World Championship leader. He is now effectively in

fifth place. There are other cars to have yet to pit between them. --

who have yet. That is a replay of how it kicked off after the pit

stop. Mark Webber has already made his stop, Felipe Massa has not. And

this is how it looked. You are not allowed to cross the line coming

out of the pit, you can cross the line into the pit lane when you

watch on the racetrack and they nearly met in the middle. Four --

when you on the track. Four drivers at different speeds. Michael

Schumacher has born the car! -- has spun round the car! And Jenson

Button has not stopped yet. He is stopping on lap 25, so it will be

interesting to see how that compares to the others. Jenson

Button ties to slow the car down. - - tries to. And their rather

mechanics. The last time he pitted in a Grand Prix the right front did

not really go on. It is sweet as you like this time, and await those

Jenson Button and let's see if he can recover his afternoon having

lost time between Vitaly Petrov and early on. Adrian Sutil just ahead

of him and ahead of Michael Schumacher, who is leading that

train with Kamui Kobayashi behind him, Sergio Perez and Vitaly Petrov

further back. Mark Webber is going to pit from the lead. They really

stand these tyres up. They used -- they lean in at the top much less

than I am used to seeing on Formula One tyres, it is to protect the

Pirellis overheating on the inside shoulder. And we can see Karun

Chandhok in the far chicane, spinning. 8 and 9. And not for the

first time this weekend. A gravel track you can drive out of his

rubbish! -- is rubbish. Hamilton leads the race. McLaren on out for

Lewis Hamilton. Just inside that Orange bollard. Fernando Alonso,

the win at Silverstone, will come through and lead this Grand Prix as

Hamilton pickeds. Interesting now. Mark Webber has Heikki Kovalainen

in front of him. I think Hamilton is going to do it. Mark Webber

crosses the finish line. Wearer is he? He has done it, Hamilton has

done it and is back in the lead. With traffic, it has helped. Canon

Webber go out on the outside and reclaim that lead? -- can. He says,

no way, get out of my way! Smoke coming out of the back of the

McLaren. That does not look healthy. Has he throttled on? Normally you

get over fell at the start of a Grand Prix with smoke like that, I

hope that is not the first sign of it problems. -- over Phil. We are

so used to these cars being bought prove, reliability wise. -- but

preferred. This is a replay of button down the inside of Adrian

Sutil. So he is on the march, and this is where there. -- Mark Webber.

The Astroturf is full of water Hamilton just putting out a bit of

blue smoke as Fernando Alonso pits from the lead for the second time

this afternoon. This will be close. Lewis Hamilton leads Mark Webber

over the line and there they're in the background and Fernando Alonso

gets up to speed. What is going on? How does that work? Normally you

get the undercut with the fresh tyre. Now we have seen it not

working twice. He is round the outside. He will make this one

stick. Fernando Alonso was caught napping. Completely, Lewis Hamilton

drives clean around the outside and steals that lead back. And at

brilliant move from Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso just didn't cover

it off. Lewis Hamilton is in permanent attack mode. It was like

Fernando Alonso is, yes, I have got the lead, well done boys and then

forgot that Lewis Hamilton could carry that fresh heat he has in his

new tyres. Lewis Hamilton does a new fastest lap of the race. We

will see that sensational move. Fernando Alonso has gone wide and

doesn't cover off the outside of two. That was the point where Lewis

Hamilton was slapping Mark Webber off the track. Fernando Alonso

didn't try anything of the sort and the McLaren boys are enjoying that.

Button then tries to go down the outside of Nico Rosberg for sixth

place. Rosberg parks his car well. Can he get on the KERS and get up

the inside? He can't, but he should get a nice slip stream down the pit

straight. We know McLaren is fast. They have both got Mercedes engines.

Rosberg parks it on the inside. Look at the speed of the Mercedes.

Mercedes versus the McLaren. He has gone too dee. Button takes the

position. He is up to sixth. Next target is Sebastian Vettel who is

still lapping some one second, 1.2 off the pace. So he might be meat

for Button to chase after. Lewis Hamilton then leads by 2.4. Four

secondss -- seconds covers the top three. Well Nico Rosberg just on

the inside, the dustier line. Locks off that inside front and you

reduce your potential braking by 25%. And it was just no option for

him but to try and reduce. You see the onboard of Mark Webber in the

braking phase. Just getting a bit messy. He has already taken a

ppblty for lawsing time. -- penalty for losing time. Lewis Hamilton has

done another fastest lap of 35.0. And is that Jenson Button missed a

chicane? He has got a problem. Jensen we need to box this lap. We

have to retire the car. We have a hydraulics problem. And of course

the hydraulics work many things on the car. Engine, gear box, throttle.

Everything controlled by that. a shame. It was a great come back

by Jenson Button. An awful start again. We has got to get the start

sorted out. But then he was driving nicely. Sebastian Vettel in for his

stop. I thought he had lost out and stalled. But let's see what that

pit stop time was. He has put the soft tyre on. We should get a time

as he leaves the pit lane. He then should be able to clear. It is 3.1.

It was a good stop. I wonder if he got away that quickly? I don't

think Heikki Kovalinan will want to attack him too hard. Heikki

Kovalinan is 16th, leading the newer teams. Vitantonio Liuzzi has

retired and Michael Schumacher trying not to lose another front

wing, as he is up there against the Toro Rosso right into the final

corner. It is Jaime Alguersuari. Perez is in front of them. What can

Michael Schumacher do? Jaime Alguersuari is watching him.

Michael Schumacher does the dummy dive and into what is a nice wide

piece of track and with equal grip all the way, it is a great

overtaking place is turn one at the Nurburgring. Wherever the other guy

decides to defend, I nearly said offend, but this a sometimes what

they do, then you can go the other side. But feisty driving from

Michael. It is a pity he had that spin. He was right there with

Rosberg. He is a chance to see the maestro giving it the dummy and

down into the first corner. As that happens, we have Felipe Massa in

for his second stop of the afternoon. He was in fourth place.

What is the gap? It is to cover Sebastian Vettel. There we have

Sebastian Vettel in the background. He has managed to make it stick.

3.2 stop. What is going on there? So Felipe Massa with track position

and Sebastian Vettel was close behaind him before the stops. And

remains so. But he might have a chance while Massa just finds his

way on a fresh set of boots. And Sebastian Vettel so much quicker

out of the corners. But he can't afford even a fifth place for

Sebastian Vettel would be better than losing a front corner and

dropping out of Grand Prix. If he is in the first two today,

Sebastian Vettel, it would be a new record of ten consecutive firstor

seconds at the start of a Grand Prix season. Now it is not looking

likely. He is 43 second off the lead. The lead is held by Lewis

Hamilton. He is 3.4 ahead of Fernando Alonso now. He is still

pumping the laps in. 8.7 airhead of Mark Webber. He has been so much

faster in is in phase of the Grand Prix. They're about 20 seconds

clear of, at least 20 seconds clear of Felipe Massa and Sebastian

Vettel. They have all stopped once up to Adrian Sutil. Or stopped

twice I up to Adrian Sutil in sixth. And Sebastian Vettel locks his left

front again. Goes through escape road and he will have to yield and

let Massa through. When have we seen this many mistakes from

Sebastian Vettel? Not for a long time. Maybe in his first year when

he was a Toro Rosso new boy. We have lost four runners. The fourth

retirement was Jenson Button. And and we found him. It is so

disappointing to keep talking to you during races. What happened?

The first lap I had a terrible first lap. I don't know where I

endeded up and I couldn't get past Petrov. I did and then I got past

the next twot guys and the pace wurz good, compared to the guys in

front, Massa and Sebastian Vettel, so it was looking exciting and then

we had a hydraulic issue and I had to retire the car on safety grounds.

You never know what can happen with lie drawlics, the steering is high

drulic - ehydraulic. You Could you have caught the guys in front. What

are the conditions like there. There is a lack of grip? Yes, the

first three no chance. But the next two, it was looking good. Adrian

Sutil, who I passed before I passed Rosberg is catching Massa and

Sebastian Vettel now. So we would have had a good race. We wouldn't

have been in the top three, but fourth was possible. I was enjoying

mie. What do you do now? I want to get warm and see what Lu wis --

Lewis can do. I had some spicy sausage before I came out. I don't

feel cold. That what Jenson Button needs a bit of... Don't say it.

Michael Schumacher at up the inside of Petrov and they both fail the

make the chicane. What are the stewards going to think about that.

Vitaly will need to give Mike it will place back. He goes wide. He

will have to let Michael take the place. He has gain and advantage by

not taking the corner. I agree with you. Whether he does is another

matter. It is irrelevant any way. Michael Schumacher takes the place.

Mark Webber's the fastest man in the Grand Prix in the middle sector

and he is 8.3 second off the lead. Lament's gap beginning to come down

now. Down to 2.9 seconds. Fernando Alonso getting back on the charge.

Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel 1.2 seconds apart. Michael

Schumacher has track position. But in a -- there is a Mercedes in the

way. They have come together a few times this year. Michael not doing

his tyre any good. He will have a flat spot. Tyres starting to go off.

And McLaren are in the pit lane. Lewis Hamilton is coming in.

lead er pits. Petrov is still doing faster first sector on these medium

compound slower tyres that they are obliged to use. If not, they will

get a half a minute penalty at the end. They're new as well. That is

is another difference. None of the key runners had any new soft tyres.

A 3.7 second stop. Not one of the fastest. But it is about getting

out and nailing the out lap for Lewis Hamilton. He had 2.7 seconds

lead. A distifrpbgt tinge tifr colour change for the --

distinctive colour change for the tyres. Now we know which three will

be on the podium, bar any incidents. Ferrari will respond to that move

by Lewis Hamilton. He said the tyres were going and he reacted

instantly and came into the pit lane. And we watch him down into

the turn seven hairpin. Paul di Resta is up into ninth. He has got

to stop again for another set of tyres. Fernando Alonso then leads

the Grand Prix. For the second time this afternoon. What can he do?

Does he -- does he pit? No he is happy with his tyres. The Ferrari

mechanics are out with the tyres. They going back into the garage.

There has been seem communication issues. The tyres are out of

blankets, Fernando Alonso is seven tenths quicker in the mid sector.

Do you think they are gauging this sector by sector? And Mark Webber's

flying now. Are they going to punish McLaren for that early stop,

or was ate smart move that will make the difference? We don't know.

We're about the find out in the closing stages of this race. We

have got to watch it almost corner by corner. There is enough grip in

sector one, but not in the middle part of lap. He lost the time in

the second sector. So we need a good lap now. Crucially for

Fernando Alonso he was able to get the advantage of seeing what Lewis

Hamilton could do. He won't be penalised by the fact that they

have brought the tyres out early, because they have two new set and

they will simply bring out the other set. Good thinking! While

they're gaining sector time on Lewis Hamilton, they won't pit.

There is no need to. And the same or the Mark Webber -- and the same

for Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso had traffic, did that matter?

he lost to Mark Webber. He has lost a lot of ground. And he pits.

Fernando Alonso pipts, having had a difficult in-lap thra. Plays into

the hands of Lewis Hamilton. I wonder why, if Fernando Alonso

might stay longer. Mark Webber carries on. He has done a 1.34.9.

If he can keep pumping in that lap time. We wait for Lewis Hamilton to

deliver his first full flying lap. There he is in the back ground. The

only McLaren in this race and it is Lewis Hamilton. And he regains the

position after a 3.2 second stop and Lewis Hamilton knows where the

grip is on the tyres. Fernando Alonso has got to go and find out.

And now it about what Mark Webber can do. Lewis Hamilton has done a

1.34.8. His fastest of the Grand Prix on the prime tyre. Mark Webber

will have to pit on that. Unless he thinks he has got more speed in the

clear air. This is Sebastian Vettel still trying to pass Felipe Massa

for fourth. There is not even a tenth of a second between them.

Mark Webber has to respond this lap. He is half a second slower in the

first sector. You join the battle here. The soft tyres are wearing

out. Such that it is better to take the slower but new tyre. That

moment has arrived. Mark Webber has clan dock in front of him and he --

Chandhock in front of him and these two are still yet to come in for a

is half a second quicker on this lap. -- on this lap. Mark Webber is

too slow and has more traffic now with Nico Rosberg. It is a lapping

situation. Nico Rosberg get out of the way, it is not working. Red

Bull have nothing to lose, they were third out of free and thought

they might take a different route but it has not worked out, he is

not fast enough -- out of freefall stop Hamilton does another personal

best lap. The fastest still belongs to Sebastian Vettel. And that is

Felipe Massa. And Mark Webber is going to pit from the lead. Four to

go including this. Hamilton takes over the lead. He is 2.9 seconds

clear. We have not seen the pit stop yet from Mark Webber but he is

comfortably behind Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Nobody else on

track apart from Jerome d'Ambrosio that he needs to clear. So now they

are quite spread out. Top three still pretty much in view in one of

the Straits. And this is all about fourth place, who will blink first?

Master and Sebastian Vettel have to pit again before the end of the

Grand Prix -- Felipe Massa. have the Ferrari mechanics

lingering around the pit stop box and cannot tell when they are

coming out. They are coming out now. The opposite of Felipe Massa, this

lap now. It did not happen, they missed it. He says if he goes in

stay out and vice versa, but he did not. So they will probably follow

each other in. You pass the finish line to come into the pit play

macro here, Michael Schumacher did that at Silverstone in the 1990s --

in the pit lane here. Ferrari are further down the pit line than that

Red Bull so Ferrari have the advantage. So technically, Felipe

Massa does need to get his car out in front of Sebastian Vettel.

a pit stop grace. -- race. And they both have to pit. They are both

driving the wheels of those things. The Lotus tyres need a new set, but

these have yellow markings, they need tyres with white markings to

avoid a penalty. And they have to do it at the end of this lap, they

have to put this time. So by not following that instruction,

Sebastian Vettel took away his best chance of doing that. Hamilton does

a new fastest to build his lead. Sup Ivor Sebastian Vettel did not

receive or understand the message or chose to ignore it -- so either.

He is nearly into the back of him! Felipe Massa was earlier on the

brakes and Sebastian Vettel was just a few centimetres behind him.

Look at that, he is ahead of him! Ferrari were too slow! Massa to

slow into the pit lane and Ferrari too slow on the pit stop, and

Sebastian Vettel takes the position going into the final lap. So Vettel

crucially takes fourth place away from Felipe Massa or on a final mad

-- pit stop in order to comply with the regulations. -- in a final mad

pit stop. A tiny little chicane here where he was immense in

qualifying to put himself on the front row of the grid. And an easy

right hander into the straight to take his 16th victory and surely

one of his most satisfying for the McLaren team! Lewis Hamilton wins

the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring, beating Fernando

Alonso by 3.9 seconds. And third place is Mark Webber, who completes

the podium, 9.7 seconds behind. Well ahead of Sebastian Vettel and

Felipe Massa, a wonderful drive from Lewis Hamilton. And still

Championship leader and in fourth place, it is Sebastian Vettel. And

where is Felipe Massa? Presumably he is still there now. He

helplessly watched as Vettel passed him when they were both in the pit

lane. Red Bull won the battle of the pit stops and gained a crucial

points for Sebastian Vettel who crosses the line for off. Over the

line goes Pastor Maldonado. And this is Adrian Sutil, with a well

deserved sixth place. Great job, guys, great job! Amazing! These are

the kind of result that you get! This is Mark Webber. And this was a

classic image of Ayrton Senna hitching a lift with Nigel Mansell.

Her the champagne flows, at a dynamic race, at no room for

mistakes -- H -- the champagne flows and it was a dynamic race, no

room for mistakes, it had to be on the money.

So let's confirm the results. Sebastian Vettel struggling for the

first time this year, finishing 4th. A pretty eventful day. This is how

it affects the drivers and constructors. The leader of

Sebastian Vettel has been eaten into by Mark Webber. -- the lead.

For the constructors, it is still about Red Bull. They are ahead of

McLaren. Ferrari are sitting third. Let's hear from the drivers after

this German Grand Prix. And -- big smiles, great overtaking,

and imagine as a young boy dreaming of winning, it probably looks

similar to that one? I do not know how good it looked on television

but it was incredible in the car. I was gobsmacked at first we got a

good start and that was a big step. The guys have been pushing hard to

improve our starts and immediately they are exactly what we expected.

And very difficult at the beginning of the race to hold off the guys

behind but later they are getting faster and faster and to be able to

do that move on Fernando felt great! There is more chance to win

the Championship if we have the best McLaren possible. They need to

be in the podium constantly. We have to be in front of them as well

but we need to be very competitive as they were today and hopefully in

Budapest, we can be in the podium and not Sebastian! Did you ever

think you would be thinking of McLaren again? For a couple of

months only! Do you go a -- do you go away disappointed because your

performance has been strong? But we know the prizes are handed out on

Sunday afternoon. Saturday has always been strong for us as the

car, but we also want to do well on Sundays so the team will continue

to work on that. We have good people and know what we need to do

to find more performance on Sundays. Of course it is not satisfying but

we have to accept that today other people were quicker. I did not feel

very good all weekend, and never got to the pace that Mark had in

the car and I struggled to keep up after the warm-up stage was over to

keep up with the top three cars. A good race. No rain but the

heavens opened. The thoughts of Eddie Jordan after Lewis Hamilton's

second win the season and one of the best of his career! If he could

do this more regularly, he would be absolutely in the fight for this

Championship. He has been a champion before and we saw what he

could do in China and again today, I just wish he could get more races

where he is able to show us his ability. Fernando Alonso finishes

this weekend's second on the track and he says if we can work

alongside McLaren, we can beat Red Bull to the title. It is that

realistic? He is looking for McLaren to send them out in the

hope of pushing people. I think he has been very clear. He did not

mention his team-mate in that, aided notice. If he includes his

team-mate at McLaren, three cars are potentially capable of taking

good points from Red Bull. If they cannot achieve that using that

method, they certainly will not pass. Who will be more frustrated

from Red Bull, Mark Webber for not turning poacher into a win or

Sebastian Vettel for struggling for the first time in a race? Sebastian

Vettel will be very disappointed and he has yet to convince me he

has real fight, wheel-to-wheel, bodywork to bodywork. I have yet to

be convinced he can deliver. He is probably the fastest young driver

but still has to race to win. he will do that in Hungary in a few

days. But Lewis Hamilton, his hopes were not washed away here in

Germany, he wins the 2011 Grand Prix.

Hamilton takes the lead of the Grand Prix!

This is shaping up to beat another classic! -- to be another classic.