Ferrari team-mates Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa stood atop the podium holding the silverware at the German Grand Prix this year. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel captured third spot.

The German Grand Prix took place at the Hockenheimring in Hockenheim, Germany. The race features 17 turns and runs 67 laps. The circuit length is 4.574 km and the race distance is 306.458 km.

The Hockenheimring underwent significant redesign in 2002. Today, it is a safer track, albeit still challenging, with its longer straights modified to keep the speeds down.

Saturday’s qualifying session resulted in RBR-Renault’s (Red Bull Racing) Sebastian Vettel securing the pole position. This was a victory in itself for the Red Bull team, who were able to beat the fast Ferrari’s in the qualifying session.

It was apparent in these sessions that Ferrari’s homework over the past few weeks had paid off. Their cars were more competitive and they rose to the challenge on the Saturday. When qualifying was over, Alonso and Massa sat in second and third spot respectively on the starting grid for Sundays GP race.

Although starting from pole, it wasn’t to be for Vettel once the race began. As he fought with Alonso for position off the start, Felipe Massa snuck by both of them to take over the lead. Apparently it seemed that a lightening fast Sunday drive was in store for the Ferrari team.

Alonso got through the opening of the race maintaining his second position, and chased Massa. Vettel was now in third spot, unable to match the dueling Ferrari’s race-day pace.

It was largely uneventful for the Ferrari’s as the race progressed. In fact, Felipe Massa held onto his lead until Lap 49.

It was here that the race complexion changed. It changed so Brand Levitra much that the maneuvering’s of the Ferrari’s are now under investigation by racing authorities.

On Lap 49 Felipe Massa slowed his car and gave way to team-mate Alonso. He had earlier received a radio message from the team saying that Alonso was faster.

He did not receive a direct order stating that he should slow down and give way; rather, it seemed an implied order. However, motor sport regulations make it clear that team orders that interfere with a race result are strictly prohibited.

Post-race Ferrari denied any wrongdoing. The FIA race stewards disagreed and slapped Ferrari with a US$100,000 fine.

It doesn’t end there for Ferrari, either. This incident has now gone to the World Motor Sport Council for investigation.

While it’s costing Ferrari dollars, it’s also affecting the public perception they have with race fans as well. Formula 1 fans that enjoy the pure racing and competition of the sport abhor team orders. They desire battles to the finish line and “may the best man win.”

Team orders that dictate how drivers of a team should finish anger them. This is why F1 officials are penalizing Ferrari and looking into the matter further.

While all of this was going on, the rest of the Grand Prix drivers were running their respective races. Vettel, while unable to rein in the Ferrari’s, did manage to keep his hold on third. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button fought the good fight on race day and garnered fourth and fifth spot and major points for their British team.

Red Bull’s Mark Webber fought valiantly for Championship points. However, his car suffered oil usage trouble, which meant sixth spot was the best he could do on Sunday.

Renault’s Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, while not podium placers, did finish in the points. Kubica earned six points for his seventh place finish, while Petrov earned one point for finishing tenth.

Mercedes GP team-mates Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished in eighth and ninth spot at Hockenheim. The German Grand Prix was a home race for the two, but their cars lacked the punch to keep pace with the Ferrari’s, Red Bull’s, and McLaren’s.

Five F1 cars did not cross the finish line at race end at this year’s German Grand Prix. Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi left the race on Lap 1 after his team-mate Jaime Alguersuari hit him.

Alguersuari was able to continue and finished in 15th spot. Sakon Yamamoto of team HRT left the race on Lap 20 with mechanical problems.

Virgin’s Lucas di Grassi left the race on lap 51 with a broken suspension. The day didn’t go so well for team Lotus either.

Jarno Trulli had transmission problems and left the race on Lap 4. His team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, retired on Lap 58 after colliding with BMW Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa. After getting a new front nose piece for his car, de la Rosa continued on and garnered 14th spot.

With the results tallied for this year’s German Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton continues to lead the Drivers title with 157 points. Jenson Button has 143 points, while Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are tied for third with 136 points. Fernando Alonso, with 25 points for his victory now has 123 for the season.

In the Constructor Standings, McLaren-Mercedes leads with 300 points. RBR-Renault sits in second with 272 points. Ferrari is a strong third with 208 points.

Even with the controversy of the order of placement between Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, Ferrari was the stronger team on Sunday. They are now back in the thick of the Championship battle, with the proverbial plot thickening for the rest of this 2010 Formula 1 season.

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Category: Recreation and Leisure/Sports
Keywords: Germany, Hockenheim, Grand Prix, F1, sport