2016 F1 Round 12 German Grand Prix Race – Hamilton wins after taking lead at start, Red Bull double podium

Lewis Hamilton won the 2016 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, completing 67 laps in 1:30:44.200. Daniel Ricciardo finished second, 6.996 seconds behind, with Max Verstappen third as Red Bull claimed the other two podium places.

Archive image: Hamilton celebrates victory in the German Grand Prix

Pole-sitter Nico Rosberg suffered wheelspin at the start, allowing Hamilton to reach Turn 1 first. Verstappen passed team-mate Ricciardo around the outside for second, while Rosberg dropped to fourth, immediately changing the order established in qualifying.

Hamilton then held the lead and retained first place through the pit stops. Clear track ahead allowed him to manage his tyre pace, while Rosberg and the two Red Bulls fought over the remaining podium places.

Rosberg attacked Verstappen at the hairpin on lap 30 and forced him off the track. The stewards imposed a five-second penalty, which Rosberg served during a subsequent pit stop, compromising his chances of finishing second.

Red Bull used tyres and team cooperation to change the order of its cars later in the race. Ricciardo was given room to push harder, while Verstappen remained near the front, and they eventually finished second and third respectively.

Rosberg finished fourth, 15.845 seconds behind Hamilton. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen were fifth and sixth, unable to join Mercedes and Red Bull in the podium fight.

Nico Hülkenberg was seventh, Jenson Button eighth, Valtteri Bottas ninth and Sergio Pérez tenth. Felipe Massa retired with handling problems, while Felipe Nasr also failed to finish because of a technical issue.

Hamilton increased his championship tally to 217 points before the summer break, giving him a 19-point lead over Rosberg. Red Bull’s double podium moved it ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings and strengthened its position for the second half of the season.