Wikipedia:WikiProject Formula One/Newsletter/200903

The 2008 German Grand Prix (formally the LXVIII Großer Preis Santander von Deutschland) was a Formula One motor race held on July 20, 2008 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany. It was the 10th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 67 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from pole position. Nelson Piquet, Jr. finished second in a Renault car, with Felipe Massa third in a Ferrari.

Hamilton maintained his startline advantage and led until he made his first pit stop on lap 18. As other cars made their pit stops, Hamilton regained the lead on lap 22. On lap 36 Timo Glock crashed, and the race was neutralized by the deployment of the safety car. Hamilton, on a two-stop strategy, did not stop to get more fuel during this period, while all the cars around him did. Thus when he did eventually stop on lap 50, he rejoined the race in fifth. In the closing stages of the race, Hamilton overtook first his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, then Massa, and finally Piquet, to take the lead again on lap 60, which he maintained to win the race.

The victory was Hamilton's second consecutive win, having won the preceding British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The win put him ahead of his two main rivals in the Drivers' Championship, Kimi Räikkönen (who finished sixth) and Massa of Ferrari, who were on equal points with him before the race. After the race he was four points ahead of Räikkönen, and seven ahead of Massa. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren drew closer to the two teams ahead of them, BMW Sauber and Ferrari. Ferrari still led by 15 points from McLaren, and 12 from BMW, whose drivers – Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica – finished fourth and seventh respectively.

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• FriP1: Rosberg tops first Australia practice
• FriP2: Rosberg stays on top in second practice
• SatP: Rosberg also tops final Australia practice
• Qualy: Button heads Brawn Front row
• Race:Button takes home dream win with a Brawn 1-2
• # The race finished under the safety car.
• † After the race, Trulli was originally given a 25-second penalty for passing Lewis Hamilton (4th, +2.914) under yellow flags.[1] However, due to misleading the stewards, Hamilton was disqualified and Trulli's penalty was overturned. [2]
• * Timo Glock (1:26.975, 6th) and Trulli (1:27.127, 8th) were both disqualified from qualifying and sent to the back of the grid, as their Toyotas' rear wing elements were in breach of the rules.

• FriP1: Rosberg fastest in first Malaysia practice
• FriP2: Ferrari duo on top in second practice
• SatP: Rosberg back on top
• Qualifying: Button grabs second consecutive pole
• Race: Button wins shortened Malaysian Grand Prix
• The race was red flagged on lap 33 and the results were taken from lap 31.

* Sebastian Vettel (3rd, 1:35.518) got a 10 place grid penalty for his collision with Kubica at the previous Grand Prix. [3]
^ Rubens Barrichello (4th, 1:35.651) got a 5 place grid penalty for a gearbox change. [4]