Fernando Alonso had to resort to counting on both hands after he won the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim today, his sixth win of the year. He now has a 36 point lead in the championship with only 70 points (seven races) up for grabs and so he can be considered a definite favourite for this year’s title.
For the third race in a row McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen had mechanical trouble but this time it was in the race itself and not in qualifying. Starting from pole position Raikkonen had pulled away from Alonso and looked in good shape until his car suffered a sudden hydraulic failure and slewed to a halt on the track just past the midway point of the race. From that point on Alonso’s lead was not contested and he coasted to the end of the race.
Juan Pablo Montoya had the drive of the year — starting dead last after a last-corner spin and crash in qualifying he drove through the pack and took advantage of pit stops to finish a comfortable second. You might wonder where he would have finished if not for his accident but without that he would not have started with full tanks and a new engine so it is a moot point.
Jenson Button was a strong third followed by Giancarlo Fisichella, Michael and Ralf Schumacher, David Coulthard and Felipe Massa.
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso (ESP) | Renault | 10 |
| 2 | Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) | McLaren Mercedes | 8 |
| 3 | Jenson Button (GBR) | BAR Honda | 6 |
| 4 | Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) | Renault | 5 |
| 5 | Michael Schumacher (GER) | Ferrari | 4 |
| 6 | Ralf Schumacher (GER) | Toyota | 3 |
| 7 | David Coulthard (GBR) | Red Bull Racing | 2 |
| 8 | Felipe Massa (BRA) | Sauber Petronas | 1 |
| Fastest Qualifier: Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) | |||