• Formula 1
    •  July 29, 2016

    The German Grand Prix practice may put Hamilton in a cold sweat

    July 29, 2016
    Sharon Wong
    Subscriber
    Sharon Wong
    Subscriber

    Mercedes dominated practice, but which driver beat which to the punch? Well, it certainly wasn’t Lewis Hamilton.

    MONTMELO, SPAIN - MAY 09: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP speaks with Mercedes GP non-executive director Niki Lauda in the garage during qualifying for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 9, 2015 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
    MONTMELO, SPAIN – MAY 09: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP speaks with Mercedes GP non-executive director Niki Lauda in the garage during qualifying for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit de Catalunya on May 9, 2015 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

    Nico Rosberg finished the race 0.326 seconds faster than Hamilton at Hockenheim in the practice for its first race in two years. Perhaps you’d think that he can afford to lose some since he’s certainly been winning some. A streak of five out of six races won since the Spanish Grand Prix crash is nothing to sneeze at. But the tide may just be turning right about now. Hamilton was hardly at the top of his game, never getting close to threatening Rosberg throughout the 90 minutes in Germany.

    HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 20: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes GP celebrates his victory with the team including CEO of Mercedes Dieter Zetsche and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP after the German Grand Prix by at Hockenheimring on July 20, 2014 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
    HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY – JULY 20: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes GP celebrates his victory with the team including CEO of Mercedes Dieter Zetsche and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP after the German Grand Prix by at Hockenheimring on July 20, 2014 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

    He’s also operating from a slight disadvantage, having incurred grid penalties for using more than his allotted amount of engine parts earlier this season. So he’s pretty determined to cinch a victory even here, as the slightest lapse could prove detrimental to his progress this coming grand prix.

    He’s adamant that his aim at this race is to make up for the discrepancy, not to bring Rosberg to his knees on his home track. Tempting, but no thanks.

    “Not really. It’s just a race to me. It makes no difference. The goal is to be in a good position going into the break.”

    Lewis Hamilton

    Home track or no, it’s the same diff for Hamilton. The only way to race is to win, no matter where he is. He may be ahead by six points, but that gap needs to be wider, especially on the limited engine parts he has left to rely on.

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