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Formula One
F1: Hamilton Can’t Be Denied at Hockenheim
McLaren man overcomes pit strategy blunder to score brilliant win; Piquet finishes second for maiden career podium while Massa is third.
Kevin Krefting  |  Posted July 20, 2008   Hockenheim, Germany
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and McLaren Mercedes celebrates on the podium after winning the German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring on July 20, 2008 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton overtook an ill-timed safety car period by passing his main rivals on the track to post a brilliant victory in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, only two weeks after shining in the wet in the British GP at Silverstone.

That same safety car period, provoked by a heavy crash by Timo Glock on the pit straight, played well into the hands of Renault rookie Nelson Piquet, who benefited from a one-stop strategy to score his maiden Formula 1 podium finish. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was third.

The race at the Hockenheimring started with Hamilton on pole, and the Brit duly defended his position from the attacks of outside polesitter Massa when the red lights went out. In fact, after the initial couple of corners, it was Massa who struggled to keep Heikki Kovalainen in the second McLaren at bay. At the end of the first lap, Hamilton, Massa and Kovalainen led BMW’s Robert Kubica, who gained several spots at the start, then Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso in the other Renault, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton began to file fast laps early on, and opened up a comfortable gap to Massa by the third lap, when Raikkonen made a bold move to overcome Kovalainen.
The race's turning point came after Glock's lap 35 crash. (LAT Photo)

Lighter in qualifying, Hamilton was the first to stop among the frontrunners, but still had no problem staying ahead of Massa when the Brazilian stopped two laps later. The Brit seemed poised for a comfortable win until lap 35, when the right-rear suspension on the Toyota of Timo Glock collapsed as the German entered the pit straight.

Glock’s car spun and rear-ended the pitwall with violence, triggering a safety car period. The German left the car on his own power but had to be taken to the track’s medical center after complaining of back pains.

The yellow flag period was a godsend for Piquet, who had just emerged from his first and only pitstop, and found himself running third behind Hamilton – whom McLaren bizarrely kept on the track – and Heidfeld. Like most of the field, Massa took the safety car opportunity to make his final stop and dropped to fourth, ahead of Kubica, Kovalainen, Trulli, Vettel and Raikkonen.
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