German Formula One driver Nico Rosberg (L) of Mercedes AMG GP smiles on the podium after winning the German Formula One Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring race track in Hockenheim, Germany, on Sunday. (EPA)
Lewis Hamilton can quickly make amends for losing ground to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg at the coming weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The teams have barely time to recover from Sunday’s German Grand Prix before Formula One moves to the Hungaroring near Budapest, with Rosberg’s gap over Hamilton now 14 points in the drivers’ standings.
The German drove a faultless race from pole position to win on home soil at Hockenheim for the first time, while Hamilton started from 20th on the grid to finish third behind Valtteri Bottas in a Williams
“I look forward to the next race in Hungary,” Rosberg said. “With the car that we have at the moment...I’m very, very thankful to Mercedes for the car that they’ve built us, it’s really a pleasure at the moment. Hungary will be good.”
Hamilton spoke of the German GP being a “damage limitation” exercise after his crash in qualifying had left him 15th on the grid, before a five-place penalty for a necessary gearbox change moved him a further five places back. The Briton charged from the back to finish on the podium, and, but for touching McLaren’s Jenson Button in one of many overtaking manoeuvres, would probably have finished second.
Hamilton suffered wing damage in the incident on lap 30 and the team had to switch from a two-stop to a three-stop strategy. Although he caught Bottas, Hamilton was unable to overtake the Finn who secured his third podium place in a row.
“I’m doing absolutely everything I can to get back on level terms with Nico in the title battle: I can’t focus more or work harder than I am doing right now, “ Hamilton said.
“This championship is proving a big challenge for me but that’s how I love it - and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Italian newspapers highlighted the fact that the victory for Rosberg came in the week he was married and signed a new deal with Mercedes - but also the fact it came a week after Germany’s World Cup win in football.
“Another world championship festivity. Rosberg, a goal like (Mario) Goetze,” La Gazetta dello Sport wrote, saying “sporting Germany is still in raptures” after its fourth World Cup title and now victory for Rosberg and Mercedes at a home grand prix.
Corriere della Sera wrote: “Rosberg, a week to frame. Rival Hamilton delivered a spectacle.”
“Ja, Ja, Ja!” was the headline in Germany’s Bild daily celebrating Rosberg’s win, with “Ha, Ha, Ha!” the headline underneath, poking fun at Hamilton’s failure to understand a team instruction to use “Magic One” to change his car set-up. “Hamilton charge not enough to deny Rosberg,” Britain’s Guardian headlined, saying Hamilton’s wing damage ultimately cost him second place. Mercedes had also called Hamilton in for an early third pit stop anticipating a safety car when Adrian Sutil’s Sauber was stuck on the track.
Hamilton was not the only one left “surprised” no safety car was called as marshals removed the car. Rosberg said he was also expecting the safety car, “and that would have obviously made it a lot more difficult.”
Hamilton can now look forward to Hungary where he has won the last two races and four of seven in all.
“It’s a circuit where you can really attack, it works for an attacking driver like myself so perhaps it suits my driving style a little bit more than some others, maybe,” he said.