Lewis Hamilton win in Germany Grand Prix

Starsports

HOCKENHEIM: Briton Lewis Hamilton delivered another massive endorsement of his great potential yesterday when he opened a clear lead in this year’s drivers’ championship by winning the German Grand Prix in thrilling style.

The 23-year-old Englishman, in his McLaren Mercedes-Benz, dominated the early stages and then, after being upset by two safety car interventions and some cautious team strategy, proved he could overtake anyone with a dazzling display of passing moves in the final laps.

“Sorry about that,” said his McLaren team chief Ron Dennis over the radio system later. “We made it much more difficult for you and we made you drive like that in such a great car.”

Hamilton, smiling afterwards, said: “That’s ok, Ron. Don’t worry about it. We did good in the end, so it is ok.” Read More

Cool Hamilton takes pole

Reports from Starsports

HOCKENHEIM: Lewis Hamilton stayed cool yesterday after clocking the fastest lap in qualifying to grab pole position for today’s German Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old Briton thrilled his fans and the German supporters backing his McLaren Mercedes-Benz team by recording the best time in the final pole-position shootout session.

“That was cool, I’m feeling cool and all is good for us this weekend, but what really matters is the race on Sunday. Heikki (Kovalainen, his team-mate) and I are going to our best to make sure we get the result that counts.”

Hamilton was fastest in both the second and third sessions to prove his superiority on a circuit he enjoys and will be bidding to win two races in succession today for the first time this season.

He currently shares the leadership of the drivers’ world championship with the Ferrari duo of defending champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen and Brazilian Felipe Massa.

His pole today was his third this season and the ninth of his career. Read more

MCLAREN'S Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix

It was a fantastic win by Britain's Lewis Hamilton who led all the way to the championship after beating teammate MCLAREN'S Heikki Kovalainen who seized the first pole position of his Formula One career at the British Grand Prix yesterday.

Hamilton blew away his rivals to win a wet and chaotic British Grand Prix yesterday and storm back to the top of the Formula One standings.

Hamilton, the first British winner at Silverstone since David Coulthard in 2000, was utterly dominant as he lapped all but second-placed Nick Heidfeld in a BMW Sauber and the Honda of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.

Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen, had made a mistake on not changing the car tyre made him difficult to control his car on the wet racing track.He managed to make it in fourth position. Keep Reading

Heikki Kovalainen captured his first Formula One pole

From Starsports

MCLAREN'S Heikki Kovalainen seized the first pole position of his Formula One career at the British Grand Prix yesterday after lapping more than half a second quicker than his rivals.

The 26-year-old Finn roared around the former World War Two airfield in 1:21.049, with Australian Mark Webber second fastest in 1:21.554 in gusty and changeable conditions.

“Well done, you're on pole by a mile,” he was told over the radio after depriving Red Bull's Webber of what would have been his and his team's first pole with the last lap of the session.

Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen, Kovalainen's compatriot, qualified third but ahead of his title rivals.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton was unable to match his 2007 Silverstone pole with fourth place for McLaren after running wide into the gravel on his first flying lap and being told not to overdrive by his race engineer.

Championship leader Felipe Massa was only ninth for Ferrari, the Brazilian's worst showing of the season, with his closest rival Robert Kubica 10th for BMW-Sauber after being sidelined by handling problems.

Massa has 48 points after eight races to Kubica's 46 and Raikkonen's 43 with Hamilton on 38.

“I've been spending time around this Silverstone area for many years of my life, and I know a lot of families and friends around here, so it's great to make the first pole here,” said Kovalainen, whose previous best in qualifying was second place in Turkey in May.

“There is a still a long way to go ... tomorrow is going to be tough and a hard race with the guys around us but I think we have a good opportunity.”

Webber played down Red Bull's first front row start by joking that he had enough fuel on board for only three laps and had put £200 on Kovalainen to win at 23-1.

“It's a bit of a surprise,” he said of his first front row start since qualifying second with Williams at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix.

Raikkonen, who qualified on pole at the previous race in France only to lose out to Massa when his car's exhaust broke, was happy with his position.

“We are not exactly where we want to be ... but third position is still okay if you look at where the others are in the championship ahead of me,” said last year's British Grand Prix winner.

Kubica failed to complete a flying lap in the final session and was outqualified for the first time this season by German team-mate Nick Heidfeld in fifth place.

Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso will start sixth while Brazilian team-mate Nelson Piquet built on his first points scoring race in France with his best qualifying to date in seventh place.

Toro Rosso's German Sebastian Vettel, the likely replacement for retiring Briton David Coulthard at Red Bull next year, qualified a strong eighth in his team's best qualifying performance to date.

Coulthard will start 11th in his last home appearance. – continue reading