Formula 1 arrives in Germany just five days after the nation’s victory in the FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, meaning that spirits will be very high at Hockenheim among the crowd and local paddock members; even Mercedes has rebranded its motorhome in homage to the nation’s soccer heroes.
Do they really need more reasons to celebrate, though? After all, a German driver leads the world championship, a German team leads the constructors’ championship, and another German has won the past four titles. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel have certainly made it a good time for the home fans at Hockenheim.
It has been quite a week or so for Rosberg, whose championship lead now stands at a paltry four points following his DNF at Silverstone. He got married to long-term partner Vivien Sibold at a small ceremony in Monaco, Germany then won the World Cup, and yesterday, Mercedes confirmed that he had inked a new long-term contract. To quote the man himself: “Just need to win my home GP now!” – it would certainly be the perfect way to cap off quite a week.
2014 German Grand Prix – Talking Points
Hamilton, Rosberg stand on the brink of history
Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg stand on the brink of history this weekend as they look to claim Mercedes’ first home victory since 1954. Five-time F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio won the race at the Nurburgring that day, but since returning to the sport in 2010, the Silver Arrows have stood little chance of winning on home soil. This time around, Mercedes stands little chance of losing; it’s just a matter of which driver will take the race win.
Vettel hopes to fight back at home
After a tough start to the year that has yielded just two podium finishes, defending world champion Sebastian Vettel will be hoping to improve at his home race. His victory at the Nurburgring last year was his first at the German Grand Prix, and an important milestone for him. This time around, a podium finish would be a welcome result for the Heppenheim native, but cheery teammate Daniel Ricciardo is proving to be more than a match at Red Bull.
What the FRIC?
There have been far too many FRIC puns made this week (most made by this writer) following the failure of the teams to postpone the ban of the system. The front-rear interconnected suspension device has been deemed to be in breach of the regulations by the FIA, but its ban would have been postponed if all eleven teams had been in favor. Unsurprisingly, they weren’t, so the systems will have to be removed for this weekend’s race. It will be interesting to see who gains and who doesn’t from its removal.
Caterham continues to shift under Albers
There have been yet more changes at Caterham over the past few days with staff cuts, reshuffles and signings, all making this another uneasy weekend for the team. Any new setup takes time to adjust and adapt, but with Sauber and Marussia both in good form, time is of the essence for the team. On a side note, we wish the best of luck to American driver Alexander Rossi, who will make his debut for Campos in GP2 this weekend after leaving Caterham Racing.
A final hurrah for Hockenheim?
Paddock chatter suggests that this will be the last German Grand Prix at Hockenheim until at least 2020 thanks to the Nurburgring’s new five-year deal. The two circuits have shared the hosting rights over the past six years. Whilst Hockenheim is a shadow of its former self, it still remains a fine racing facility that will be missed on the calendar should it fall off.
Germany – Facts and Figures
Track: Hockenheimring
Laps: 67
Corners: 17
Lap Record: Kimi Raikkonen 1:13.780 (2004)
Tyre Compounds: Super-Soft (Option); Soft (Prime)
2013 Winner (Nurburgring): Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2013 Pole Position (Nurburgring): Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:29.398
2013 Fastest Lap (Nurburgring): Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1:33.468
DRS Zone: T1 to T2; T4 to T6
Click here for full broadcasting details for the German Grand Prix. Please note that qualifying and the race are live on CNBC this weekend.
