Five Things we learnt from the German Grand Prix

Chaos in the German rain

The weather forecast for Germany looked calm. The rain front feared by some drivers did not seem to be materialising, and many expected a dry race.

But then the rain came after all. It started lightly in qualifying, but in the race itself it hit hard and never let up. Many drivers were unsure how to drive and which tyres were best. Wetness indicators were sometimes completely wrong, resulting in cars on dry tyres in rainy conditions. Spins, accidents and many problems could be seen every lap. Especially in the first half of the race, a yellow flag could be heard somewhere every lap. The result was a chaotic and exciting Grand Prix.

Razor takes a bath

And this Grand Prix hurt one team in particular: Razor GP. The chrome-coloured team had gone all in on a dry setup and seemed intent on dominating the race. But the setup was not designed for rain at all, leaving Razor completely at the mercy of the weather. Fabian Walter lost many places in the first corner, and his teammate followed suit. Both drivers complained about the difficult to unmanageable car in the rain, spinning frequently and losing places. In the end, they were still able to finish in the top 5, but the Razor party with special livery in Hockenheim was cancelled.

Optiminal capitalises on the rain

However, Razor's biggest rival seized his opportunity and did everything right. Heiko Kolvenbach was able to draw on all his experience and drove on dry tyres on the wet track for quite some time. The Rhinelander never seemed to have any problems, even though he described it differently himself. He led the race for a long time, but had to settle for third place, yet still seemed satisfied. Team leader Sven Schubert was even happier. The Swabian started from the back and, in true Hamilton style, was able to outdo all his opponents in the rain at Hockenheim. In doing so, he held off the fast Janson Bintz, who almost took the win with his own unique strategy.

Bintz finally wakes up

There he was, the young Luxembourger. His last pit stop caused Janson Bintz to lose the lead, but he began chasing Sven Schubert like a madman. This ended in the last corner of the last lap, but in second place, no less than a car length behind Sven Schubert. And yet: Janson Bintz has woken up. Too late to challenge for the World Championship lead, but still in time to achieve good results for his team and himself. In the penultimate race, he finished third, now second. With this approach, only victory remains. And given Bintz's current form, that is not unlikely.

World Championship already decided?

After this exciting and chaotic race, there is only one question left: Is the Drivers' World Championship decided? Many in the paddock seem to think so, as Sven Schubert's lead over both Razor drivers has increased again, this time more than usual. And the Optiminal leader's performance was unparalleled. Winning from last place on the grid despite a qualifying penalty in the rain is quite an achievement. Only accidents could rob Schubert of the championship.

Meanwhile, there is also movement in the team championship. Razor is still in the lead, but Optiminal has caught up, thanks in particular to the improving performance of second driver Heiko Kolvenbach. Realistically, neither championship has been decided yet. But there is a trend. It remains to be seen whether it will continue.