nicolachew

Yes, I used “drivers”. This is because I can never, ever pick just one driver to commend for his performance in a race. The German Grand Prix was one of the most exciting season, and ended with a result most of us did not expect. It challenged the skills and abilities of the drivers and during this strenuous race some of the drivers really shone and executed an outstanding drive.

First off, of course, is the race winner Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton pushed pole-sitter Mark Webber to the limit right from the start to finish. With an aggressive surge to the front at the start of the race, Hamilton more or less maintained his race pace and track position throughout the entire 1 hour and 40 minutes, only occasionally losing it to Fernando Alonso or Webber for a matter of seconds. His most impressive move (and I reiterate, this is merely my opinion!) was just after Webber emerged from his first pit stop in lap 12/13 (I apologise as I’m not very sure) and Webber, on fresh tyres, attempted an overtaking manoeuvre and actually succeeded, before Hamilton, the forceful and audacious driver he is, once again took the lead. He held onto that lead too, and barely lost it. Consistency and dominance. That’s what led him to win the race.

Next up, I thought that Felipe Massa drove extremely well by constantly blocking Sebastian Vettel who was hot on his heels – or wheels – primarily during the last segment of the race. The Brazilian was unwavering and refused to give in to Vettel, who desperately tried to overtake him numerous times in vain. He managed to keep Vettel on hold and his defense was outstanding, despite the continuos amount of pressure the German put on him. He defended and fought till the very end, and it really is a pity that his final pit stop was faulty and cost him 4th place.

Adrian Sutil, the underdog in the Force India car. The German finished in 6th, and he qualified in 8th on the starting grid. During the race, Sutil managed to keep within the top 10 most of the time, and even moved up to 4th in one of the race segments. If I’m not wrong, this has been Sutil’s best finishing result this entire season. And what better place to achieve it than in his home race? Sutil has definitely proved himself to the team, the fans and the home crowd, and he definitely did not disappoint.