A crash 15 laps from victory has cost Sebastian Vettel the German GP and his championship lead as Lewis Hamilton re-assumed control of the championship standings.
Vettel lost control on the damp track in Hockenheim, sending him into the wall and ending his race, allowing Hamilton to recover from a disastrous qualifying effort.
โI made a small mistake which had a huge impact on the result,โ Vettel said.
โI braked just a tiny bit too late for the corner, locked the front tyres and then the rear ones, so that I couldn't turn the car anymore,โ the four time world champion said.
Hamilton, who started from 14th now leads the championship from Vettel by 17 points, but had to survive an hour long investigation by the race stewards before his victory was confirmed.
After Vettel had crashed out Hamilton aborted a pit lane entry, going over the grass to re-enter the race, causing the investigation.
Aussie Daniel Ricciardo was once again the victim of car trouble. Having started from last on the grid, Ricciardo had risen all the way to sixth place before having to retire on lap 29 due to a power failure.
All eyes turn to Hungary this week as the action continues, with the race scheduled for 11:10 pm AEST.
