Hamilton started only 14th after a mechanical failure in qualifying, but took the chequered flag at Hockenheim following a dramatic conclusion sparked by a rain shower, and Vettel’s jaw-droppingcrash.
Both Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen pitted for new tyres after the safety car was deployed following Vettel’s costly accident.
Hamilton stayed on track to assume the lead, and when the race was back under way with 10 laps to run, the Englishman held off team-mate Bottas to seal a famous victory.
The result means Hamilton now sits 17 points clear of Vettel at the halfway point of the season and the four-time winner credited the elements with helping him secure a vital victory this afternoon.
“It was so tough out there, conditions were perfect for business time,” Hamilton said.
“When it rained, I knew that I would have a good position but you never knew what would happen after the safety car.
“The other guys behind had the new tyres on but I’m just so grateful for the hard work the team has done and I hope this justifies their belief in me.
“For those who don’t know me, now you do.”
Hamilton’s victory was placed in doubt after he was summoned to appear before the stewards on Sunday evening.
The Brit was alleged to have crossed the pit-entry line when he decided not to pit for tyres under the safety car.
Hamilton has since been issued with a reprimand.
A report concluded Hamilton had broken the rules but after taking into account mitigating factors, a reprimand was deemed the “appropriate penalty.”
The ruling took into account Mercedes and Hamilton admitting the mistake, the timing of it (under safety car), and that the manoeuvre did not endanger any other drivers.
German Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton took victory as Sebastian Vettel crashed out (Image: GETTY)
German Grand Prix as it happened
(67 laps total)
Hamilton speaks
“Surely you didn’t believe you could win this race,” Hamilton is asked.
“I did,” he replies. “It’s obviously very difficult from that position but you’ve always got to believe.
“I just wanted to stay calm and collected. I’m so grateful, I kept pushing and kept believing and it happened. I really manifested my dream today.
“For those who don’t know me – now you do.”
The top 10 standings
1. Hamilton 2. Bottas 3. Raikkonen 4. Verstappen 5. Hulkenberg 6. Grosjean 7. Perez 8. Ocon 9. Ericsson 10. Hartley
LAP 67
HAMILTON WINS – From 14th to 1st. What a race! He got fortunate with Vettel crashing out but that is a massive win for the four-time champion.
He’s back on top of the drivers’ standings.
“Miracles do happen mate,” Lewis is told by his engineer.
LAP 66
Can Hamilton believe he’s in this position? He’s cruising now, recording another fastest lap.
Meanwhile, the crowd still look stunned as their home champion Vettel crashed out.
LAP 62
It’s all settled down a bit now after those hectic few laps. There’s suggestions rain could creep in right at the end though… stay tuned!
Carlos Sainz gets a 10-second penalty for overtaking under the safety car
LAP 60
Bottas told to hold positiion to fend off the Ferrari. Hamilton is on course for victory. He sets another fastest lap and his two second ahead.
LAP 57
The safety car is off and Hamilton leads from the front on the older tyres. These last few laps will be a true test of his ability.
Bottas attempts to overtake but Hamilton defends!
LAP 55
Here’s the current top 10.
1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Valtteri Bottas 3. Kimi Raikkonen 4. Max Verstappen 5. Nico Hulkenberg 6. Sergio Perez 7. Esteban Ocon 8. Marcus Ericsson 9. Romain Grosjean 10. Carlos Sainz
LAP 54
Hamilton LEADS behind the safety car as Raikkonen pits.
LAP 52
VETTEL OUT of the race as he loses grip and plows straight into the barriers. It seems he went to wide at Saxe Turn and he locks up.
Hamilton moves up to second as Raikkonen leads.
Massive points haul up for grabs if the Brit can hold his nerve.
LAP 50
Oops. Turns out Gasly is on full wets and with the rain now gone it’s a massive mistake whoever called that.
Perez struggling as he spins off and rejoins near the back of the pack.
LAP 49
With the top four all on softs, Hamilton on ultrasofts is making great progress.
He’s making up a second on each lap and his rivals will know they can’t afford to slip up.
LAP 46
Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly also go on the intermediates. Strategy key now with half the track in sunshine, the other light rain.
Verstappen onto intermediates too.
LAP 42
Perez drops down to ninth after a pitting. The rain is here. Anyone can win this race now.
Charles Leclerc also goes into the pits.
LAP 40
Rain is inbound in eight minutes! It’s about to get interesting. Hamilton remains third.
LAP 38
Raikkonen is told to let Vettel past.
That was after a message from Jock Clear, who tells the Finn not to hold up Vettel any longer.
Plenty of talk about any potential rain showers potentially on their way.
LAP 32
Vettel is complaining about the rear tyres which is bad news for Ferrari. Rain predicted in 10 to 15 minutes at Hockenheim. Everyone who has tyre trouble will be nursing right now because they will not want to pit for dry tyres… and then come straight back in for inters.
Vettel says he is just destroying his tyres by sitting behind Raikkonen in the dirty air. Very unhappy chap.
LAP 30
Valtteri Bottas is the first man into the 1:16s and has taken half a second out of his team-mate on that lap. Hamilton of course hasn’t pitted yet.
LAP 28
RICCIARDO OUT! It looks like engine failure for the Red Bull driver.
“Losing power,” he says before pulling over and stopping the car.
That’s the brand new engine gone by the sounds of things. Oh dear. His team-mate Max Verstappen pits from the lead and returns into fifth. Hamilton up to third!
LAP 27
There is heavy rain 10 miles north of Hockenheim as we speak. That would change things a bit. A lot actually. Would play right into Mercedes’ hands… although they are now out with some soft tyres for Valtteri Bottas.
LAP 25
Vettel slips out between Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton. So the Finn has effectively undercut his own team-mate, although I don’t expect we will see Vettel stay behind the Ferrari, either because he will stop again or Kimi will be asked to move aside.
LAP 24
More purple sectors from Raikkonen and he is now in Vettel’s pit window. Is Rakkonen’s pace helping Lewis Hamilton? Indirectly, I suppose so.
Vettel is in anyway. Where will he come out?
LAP 22
First time I’ve written Lance Stroll’s name today. He is running 14th and just created a bit of a concertina behind him with Grosjean, Sainz and Hartley. Not his fault in fairness and he stays 14th for the moment.
Lance Stroll creates a traffic jam with a slow hairpin exit (Image: Sky Sports F1)
LAP 20
Hamilton finding some pace. We think he can’t pit before Lap 30 if he wants to do a one-stop so the fact he is the fastest man on the track last time around is promising.
LAP 18
Nico Hulkenberg has pitted too and that helps Ricciardo move into the points for the first time.
Leclerc put up a good fight but that Sauber doesn’t have the grunt of the Red Bull.
LAP 16
Purple times from Kimi Raikkonen on fresh tyres. I’m surprised Mercedes haven’t covered this move off but they must be expecting the Ferrari to go two-stop.
Kimi Raikkonen pitted early as Ferrari tried to out-strategise Mercedes (Image: GETTY)
LAP 14
Kimi Raikkonen is the first of the leaders to pit. An undercut on Bottas, we think.
The Ferrari comes out just in front of Hamilton, who has got past Magnussen. Is that why they pulled him in? They saw an opportunity to slow Hamilton down and have sprung a little trap
That will leave Hamilton seething I would think.
Further back, Leclerc is staying ahead of Alonso, but only just. That midfield battle is fierce between Haas, Renault, Force India, Leclerc and Alonso.
LAP 12
Magnussen running quite well ahead of Hamilton but he has just got into DRS range so this might be done rather quickly. Then Verstappen will be next up the road.
LAP 10
I think there is a lot of pace management going on at the moment. That looks easy for Vettel, who is already 24 seconds ahead of Hamilton.
The Brit is up to sixth though after passing Nico Hulkenberg.
LAP 8
Ricciardo licks the stamp and sends it down the inside of Marcus Ericsson although his front tyres really haven’t warmed up yet. That’s 14th place for the swashbuckling Australian.
LAP 6
Ricciardo is up to 15th but is complaining that he can’t get his tyres up to temperature. Remember he’s on the white-rimmed medium tyres.
Grosjean isn’t enjoying the rubber either and Perez capitalises to take seventh place at the hairpin. Hamilton is just behind them and will pounce on the main straight you would think…
Sebastian Vettel leads Valtteri Bottas in hte early stages of the German Grand Prix (Image: AFP/GETTY)
LAP 4
Alonso runs wide and Hamilton capitalises easily. Not much the McLaren driver could have done anyway, of course, and he didn’t really bother defending.
A few corners later and Hamilton is up to 10th, doing Leclerc into the hairpin. It’s not been a good start for the Monegasque who has slipped out of the points to 11th.
Vettel up the front is the only man in the 1:17s. So very much faster than everyone else.
LAP 2
Vettel is cruising away from the field and is already 1.5 seconds clear of Bottas. Raikkonen is one of a number of drivers reporting spots of rain on the visor already…
Hamilton gets Ocon into Turn One but he’s stil only up to 12th. Next up is that man Fernando Alonso. Bit of history there, isn’t there?
LIGHTS OUT!
Bottas gets a good start but Vettel covers him off and retains the lead. Verstappen gets a run up the inside of Raikkonen but the Finn hangs on and the front four are unchanged.
Not much progress for Ricciardo and Hamilton, with only one place between them on the opening lap.
2.09pm: Formation lap is go, then. Ricciardo on the medium tyres, Hamilton on the soft. That might suggest they think there will be some rain around. They don’t want to start on the ultras and get caught out after the pit-stop phase.
2.05pm: There goes the not-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean music which means we are a few minutes away. Sun starting to shine, dark clouds gathering… this is quite intriguing, you know.
1.58pm: Max Verstappen will start fourth on the grid but Red Bull were quite quick on Friday. I don’t think he believes he can beat the Ferraris though.
“A win I don’t know but we’ll try. We have a good race car. Hopefully the weather will play in a little bit. That would be cool.”
1.53pm: Time for the national anthem, which is usually one of my own. On this occasion, the woman responsible for it has murdered it slowly and painfully. Shocking stuff. Delete your account please.
1.50pm: The German Grand Prix wasn’t on the calendar last year – and at present will not be again. However, F1 head honcho Chase Carey (he of the glorious moustache) seems cautiously optimistic of making a go of things.
“We’re still talking. We’re seeing if we can get something going but we’re getting close to having to put the schedule together for 2019.”
Chase Carey reckons F1 might be back in Germany next year (Image: GETTY)
1.40pm: Cars are on the grid now with 30 minutes to go. Williams are in for another difficult day more than likely but Rob Smedley, one of the technical bosses, has a wry smile on his face at the back of the grid.
“It’s a small step, a small improvement. It’s still in the experimental stage.”
Not a good time for experiements. Summer break can’t come quick enough for them.
1.30pm: Nico Rosberg is obviously a big deal here (although Bild reckon Hamilton told F1 to drop him from the post-race interviews) and he’s doing some work with Sky Sports.
He is wearing what can only be described as a full beige suit with a collarless shirt under it. Nope. No idea either.
The tyres could be crucial today. They will blister significantly, unlike Silverstone, which might make Hamilton’s life that bit harder.
Lewis Hamilton was shattered by yesterday’s disappointment but appears more optimistic on Sunday (Image: REUTERS)
1.10pm: A little update on the weather. I’m told there is a 40 per cent chance of rain about midway through the race. That would make things very spicy indeed for the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton, starting down the field.
Pierre Gasly is right at the back by the way after also taking some engine penalties. Watch out for him following Ricciardo through the pack, I reckon.
12.45pm: Lewis Hamilton briefly put an umbrella up on the drivers’ parade but his sunglasses are still on. He seems surprisingly upbeat all things considered. No pressure on him I suppose.
“The plan is to go forwards,” he tells the German host.
“I’ve got to try to catch Sebastian somehow.
“I just told Valtteri to go out and win the race, so I’m counting on him to win.”
12.30pm: Welcome to historic Hockenheim where, perhaps sadly, the sun is shining. But there are clouds around and there is a chance of some rain later, maybe even thunderstorms. Exciting stuff – as long as we stay on track. Some drivers claimed it was too dangerous even to go out in the rain on Saturday and if I’m honest, I don’t fancy a day of sitting around forecasting the weather. Carol Kirkwood I am not.
But what I can do is tell you about the fast cars or in McLaren’s case the slow ones. We’ve got just over an hour and a half to go so we’ll have plenty of time to go through every element of this intriguing weekend on and off the track.
