2014 German Grand Prix F1: Top 10 Reader Results!

The tenth Grand Prix of the season at Hockenheim was won by Nico Rosberg ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. The rest of the top 10 included, in order, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hülkenberg, Jenson Button, Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez. Let’s see if the 151 voters followed the race order…

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 25 points

Relegated to the 20th position following his brake problem in qualifying combined with the gearbox change, the Brit aimed to reach the podium at the finish. Despite having a dominant car, he had to fight in the pack—and tussle with his competitors—to get back into the wake of Valtteri Bottas, whom he could not overtake for second place.

2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) – 18 points

After easily securing pole position, the victory was undisputed at the end of the 67 laps that he led all the way. In the absence of his closest rival, the German scored a double victory by winning at home and slightly widening the gap with his teammate, who was 14 points behind.

3. Valtteri Bottas (Williams) – 15 points

Starting second, the Finn obviously had the podium as his goal. His race, calm during the first three-quarters, took on a highly defensive stance when Lewis Hamilton, with softer tires, caught up to him. However, his good management of the final laps allowed him to secure his position and achieve his second consecutive second-place finish and his third consecutive podium.

4. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) – 12 points

Starting in 7th position, the Spaniard ultimately didn’t gain any places on the track, benefiting primarily from the collision that spun Massa around and sidelined Magnussen. However, his race was marked by duels, and the one against Daniel Ricciardo, at the end of the race, will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the season’s battles.

5. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) – 10 points

Despite starting in 7th place, the German driver quickly moved into the top 3, thanks to the events of the first lap. His race was particularly marked by his exit from the pits on lap 14, when he found himself between the two Ferraris, including Kimi Räikkönen’s, whom he overtook effortlessly at turn 6, in a memorable pincer move on the Finn with his teammate.

6. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) – 8 points

The Australian was a collateral victim of the Massa/Magnussen collision at the first corner, losing several positions in the process. Quickly joined by Hamilton, the two men moved up the field together. His battle with Alonso enlivened the end of the race and demonstrated the quality of his driving.

7. Nico Hülkenberg (Force India) – 6 points

For the German, as for his teammate, qualification was better than expected because the Indian team had mainly focused on long stints. However, the drop in temperatures on Sunday altered the car’s balance, making the race difficult. He also faced an engine scare midway through the race.

8. Jenson Button (McLaren) – 4 points

The failed qualification foreshadowed a relatively anonymous race from the 2009 world champion, who didn’t really have to push hard to enter the top 10, taking advantage of the misfortunes of Massa, Magnussen, and Räikkönen. The touch between Hamilton and him was the most notable episode of his race.

9. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) – 2 points

After a highly impressive qualifying session, the Dane was involved in the collision with Massa at the very first corner, which proved costly. Falling to the back of the field, he took advantage of the safety car to refuel and embarked on an aggressive race. Finishing in the top 10, just a few seconds behind his teammate, he salvaged what could have been a disastrous race.

10. Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) – 1 point

“Sandwich” is certainly the word that best summarizes the Finnish driver’s Grand Prix, first between Vettel and Alonso, then between Hamilton and Ricciardo. Hampered by aerodynamic difficulties, he was unable to successfully complete his three-stop strategy and finished out of the points.

The 2014 standings from the readers after 10 out of 19 GPs: