German Grand Prix Starting Grid

German Grand Prix Starting Grid

Originally written by Joas van Wingerden. This version is a translation.

Sunday 22 July 2018 10:00

Ferrari's usurping of Mercedes as Formula 1's fastest team went up a notch at the German grand Prix as Sebastian Vettel qualified on pole two tenths of a second quicker than the closest Silver Arrow. It was Valtteri Bottas in closest quarters to the championship leader, though, after Lewis Hamilton suffered a hydraulic failure.

Hamilton will start 14th on the grid at the Hockenheimring after his qualifying ended with him trying to push his stricken car back to the pits.

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He failed to take part in qualifying, only avoiding a 15th-place start thanks to the glut of engine-related penalties that have taken Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull to the back of the field. Pierre Gasly's engine change at least keeps the Red Bull man off the very back.

Both star drivers will be looking to work their way through the field, Hamilton having done so relatively pain-free at Silverstone last time out.

Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen line up on the second row, having never really featured in the fight fir pole position, with the Haas pair of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean perhaps eyeing a shock from the third row after securing the team's best ever qualifying result.

Esteban Ocon is somewhat displaced in P15, while Marcus Ericsson will hope the souped-up Ferrari engine can take him higher than 13th, after being thrashed on Saturday by his team-mate yet again - Charles Leclerc will start ninth, having gone a full second quicker than the Swede.