Halfway through the 2010 season, and it’s still all to play for in Formula One as we arrive at Hockenheim. Will Mark Webber repeat last year’s German victory, will home favourite Sebastian Vettel triumph, or can someone else spring a surprise?
Sebastian Vettel (GER), Red Bull Racing – 4th, 121pts
A driver’s home grand prix is usually motivation enough, but take a highly competitive streak, a team-mate who is matching his ambition and has won not only the last grand prix in Britain but also the last German race in 2009, and Vettel will no doubt be almost unstoppable in his desire to win here at fellow Red Bull driver Mark Webber’s expense – and of the battling McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, not to mention the other five Germans in the field, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil, Nico Hülkenberg… and Timo Glock. Seb will certainly hope he’s not running around at the back with Virgin Racing’s Glock as he did after his disastrous first-lap misfortune at Silverstone, but you feel that almost nothing will stand in the 23-year-old’s way this weekend.
Mark Webber (AUS), Red Bull Racing – 3rd, 128pts
The air is clear at Red Bull Racing after more controversy at Silverstone, and so is the gap –just – between Mark Webber and his colleague Vettel, with the Australian now ahead again by 7pts. But Webber has more than just the young German to think about, namely Lewis Hamilton, who is also now flying and top of the standings, and Lewis’s team-mate Button in second. But Mark is having his best-ever season, and the way he won in Silverstone demonstrated sheer class. Despite the ups and downs (a Valencia tyrewall not the least of them), the Aussie is just not going away in the title race. Another win at Hockenheim like last year’s at the Nürburgring and his fans really can dare to dream.
Nico Rosberg (GER), Mercedes – 6th, 90pts
When will that victory come? Mercedes are still, to an extent, flattering to deceive, but perhaps they will get the necessary performance out of the former Brawn car that was so dominant a year ago at their first ‘home’ race. A first podium in six grands prix will have boosted Nico, who certainly looked happy enough after the race at Silverstone, but a maiden win remains elusive. How lovely it would be for his fans if he did it here for Germany in Germany. Oh, and Finland – his old man’s actually a Finn after all.
Sakon Yamamoto (JPN), Hispania Racing – 25th, 0pts
Strange times at HRT. Last time out in Silverstone, Bruno Senna, experienced on the UK circuit, was dropped in favour of test driver Yamamoto – this time, rated Indian driver Karun Chandhok makes way for the Japanese, who finished 20th in the British GP. Yamamoto’s record at Hockenheim, in one race for Super Aguri four years ago, is a crash in Friday practice that wrecked a chassis and one lap of the race itself before he retired with mechanical problems. Yamamoto has links historically with Hispania boss Colin Kolles, for whom he drove in F1 at Spyker (now Force India), and it looks as if Kolles and his team are using the remaining races this season as a proving ground to work out their 2011 line-up. (Whether or not personal sponsorship is an issue is always the closely-guarded business of a privateer team.) If we see former Red Bull Racing driver Christian Klien, also a reservist for HRT, in forthcoming races, we can safely assume that they’re looking at their strategy long-term. It will be interesting to see if it pays dividends.
Sébastien Buemi (SUI), Scuderia Toro Rosso – 14th, 7pts
Jaime Alguersuari (SPA), Scuderia Toro Rosso – 16th, 3pts
No such worries for the Toro Rosso pairing of Buemi and Alguersuari, who have already secured their 2011 berths with the team astonishingly early, before the driver merry-go-round has even creaked into action for the mid-year silly season. Still with only 45 GPs between them, Sébastien has finished in the points in three of the last five races, and it was only in the last race at Silverstone that Jaime retired for the first time this year, with 13th his lowest finish before that. The pair are growing up fast. “I believe our drivers will be well prepared for 2011, which is why they are both confirmed for next year,” explained STR team principal Franz Tost. Bravo to them both.
Read more over the weekend from Hockenheim at our F1 Germany event page
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