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29 March 2024

Germany F1 Grand Prix: Rosberg wins in Germany for Mercedes

Published
By Agencies

Nico Rosberg won his home German Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday to stretch his overall lead in the Formula One championship to 14 points.

Lewis Hamilton, his team mate and only real title rival, finished third after starting in 20th place and then charging through the field on an overcast afternoon that threatened rain without delivering.

Finland's Valtteri Bottas took second place for Williams, his third podium finish in a row, after Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa crashed at the start in a collision that brought out the safety car.

Rosberg's win was the first for a works Mercedes team in Germany since Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio in 1954 and his fourth victory of the season.     

UNHURT

Felipe Massa, starting on the second row, somersaulted spectacularly out of the German Grand Prix on Sunday after his Williams was bumped at the first bend.

Massa's car came to rest in the safety gravel. The Brazilian walked away unscathed but clearly frustrated after the accident triggered when Kevin Magnussen's McLaren clipped the rear of his car.

"Big crash for Felipe but he is out the car and heading back to the garage," Williams said on its Twitter account.

Magnussen continued, although the Danish driver reported damage to his front right tyre.

The race restarted after a brief interlude when the safety car appeared, with Mercedes' Nico Rosberg leading from pole.

BBC Sports reported Massa as saying: "I am okay. The accident was a little bit more scary watching than being inside. I just saw everything the other way around, but I am fine.

"I am so disappointed at what happened. It's another race and another car that has pushed me out and finished my race. With a car that that is very competitive and fast that's so disappointing.

"I was in front and doing the corner in front. If someone needs to watch, it's the car behind."

Massa has suffered wretched luck this campaign. At the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last time out his race ended prematurely when in a collision with Kimi Raikkonen's out of control Ferrari.

Only rapid avoiding action by Massa prevented a far more serious crash. In the Canadian Grand Prix in June Massa accused rival driver Sergio Perez of being "dangerous" after the Mexican had caused their near-300kph collision.

Brazilian Massa had tried to pass Perez for fourth position as they approached Turn One when their cars collided, an impact that sent both into the barriers at high speed.

CATERHAM

The Caterham Formula One team, sold this month by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, paid tribute to the crash victims of flight MH17 at the German Grand Prix on Sunday.

The British-based team's cars were adorned with #PrayForMH17 stickers "in tribute to everyone affected by the horrific MH17 tragedy" Caterham explained on their twitter feed.

Thursday's crash of the Malyasian flight over rebel-controlled east of Ukraine killed 298 people.

The team's drivers, Japan's Kamui Kobayashi and Swede Marcus Ericsson, start Sunday's race at Hockenheim from the rear of the grid.

Fernandes sold Caterham to a consortium of Swiss and Middle Eastern investors.

POLE POSITION

Formula One title contender Lewis Hamilton will drop to 20th on Sunday's German Grand Prix grid, and may start from the pitlane, after Mercedes changed the gearbox on his car following a crash in qualifying.

The Briton, whose championship-leading team mate Nico Rosberg will be on pole position for his home race, qualified 16th on Saturday despite spinning into the barriers early on.

However, he gained a position because Sauber's Mexican Esteban Gutierrez carried over a three-place demotion from the previous race.

But Mercedes said Hamilton would also have to take a mandatory five-place penalty for the unscheduled gearbox change overnight.

"We can confirm that @LewisHamilton's gearbox will be changed for the race owing to accident damage incurred yesterday. 5 place penalty," the team said on their Twitter feed.

Hamilton's crash, in the first phase of qualifying, was caused by a front brake disc failure and Mercedes indicated on Saturday he would change to a different brand as a safety precaution.

If that is the case, then the 2008 champion is expected to start from the pit lane.

Hamilton is four points behind Rosberg at the halfway point in the season with nine races remaining after Hockenheim.