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Formula 1
German GP
2009 German Grand Prix Race day at the Nurburgring
Live Standings
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Summary
6 Days
23 hrs
11 min
24 sec
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Lap 1: Down to the Dunlop hairpin it is Barrichello from Webber and Kovalainen after a chaotic start.
Lap 2: Hamilton was tagged as he diced for the lead at Turn 1 and he is in trouble. Lewis is dropping right down the field in the McLaren.
Lap 2: Completing the first lap, Barrichello leads from Webber and Kovalainen as Jenson Button lines up to pass Felipe Massa for fourth into the first corner.
Lap 2: Here comes Lewis Hamilton struggling through the NGK Chicane and he will come into the pits with a right rear puncture.
Lap 3: Vettel is currently sixth but runs wide in Michelin trying to challenge Massa.
Lap 3: Jenson Button is already on the gearbox of Kovalainen's McLaren as he looks to move up to third.
Lap 3: Lewis has lost well over a minute bringing the car back, but he exits the pits with fresh tyres dead last and with little chance of scoring points this afternoon.
Lap 4: Barrichello leads by a second from Webber, with Kovalainen third and under pressure from Button. Felipe Massa is fifth, being chased by Vettel and Raikkonen, with Adrian Sutil holding a strong eighth in the Force India.
Lap 4: Replays of Hamilton's start show that he got an amazing launch off the grid and with the KERS engaged he was three-abreast with Barrichello and Webber heading into Turn 1. But he was going into the corner way too hot and ran wide over the grasscrete, dust, dirt and other rubbish at the side of the road having picked up a puncture.
Further replays show that the left end-plate of Webber's Red Bull made contact with Hamilton's right rear as they were in the braking zone for the first corner.
Further replays show that the left end-plate of Webber's Red Bull made contact with Hamilton's right rear as they were in the braking zone for the first corner.
Lap 5: Webber continues to harry Barrichello for the lead with the fastest lap. He is comfortable in the knowledge that he will stop several laps later than the Brawn.
Lap 6: Heikki Kovalainen has already fallen eight seconds behind the lead pair and is clearly holding up Jenson Button.
Button needs to pass on the road as the McLaren is a little heavier.
Button needs to pass on the road as the McLaren is a little heavier.
Lap 6: Mark Webber is being told on the radio to preserve his tyres for the time when he can stay out after Barrichello's first stop.
Lap 7: Button continues to harry Kovalainen as Massa and Vettel have joined to make it a four-car train.
Lap 7: Behind the top eight, Nico Rosberg is ninth and struggling to hold on to Sutil, with Kubica tenth after making a great start. Alonso is 11th, Heidfeld 12th, Fisichela up to 13th in the Force India, Buemi 14th, Piquet 15th, Glock up to 16th from the pits and Nakajima 17th.
Behind them comes Bourdais in 18th, Trulli 19th after a visit to the pits and Hamilton dead last.
Behind them comes Bourdais in 18th, Trulli 19th after a visit to the pits and Hamilton dead last.
Lap 9: The train of cars forming behind the slow Kovalainen is playing in to the hands of the Ferrari duo, who are set to run much longer before their first stops and look well-placed to leap ahead of Button - who will be the first man to sop.
Lap 9: A couple of battles are now shaping up down the field:
Giancarlo Fisichella is trying hard to get past Nick Heidfeld as they squabble over 12th. Fisichella is quicker and if he's brave enough could try a move on the BMW soon.
Kazuki Nakajima is hounding Timo Glock for 16th position.
Giancarlo Fisichella is trying hard to get past Nick Heidfeld as they squabble over 12th. Fisichella is quicker and if he's brave enough could try a move on the BMW soon.
Kazuki Nakajima is hounding Timo Glock for 16th position.
Lap 10: Wow! Fisichella does send a move on Heidfeld at the NGK Chicane and he pulls it off easily. Fisichella now up into 12th position and he is just under three seconds behind 11th-placed Fernando Alonso.
Lap 10: Leaders Barrichello and Webber are under investigation by the stewards - likely due to the coming together between the pair off the start.
Lap 11: Nico Rosberg in ninth is holding up Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso. Fisichella is now just two seconds behind the Spaniard, and closing in on this trio quite quickly.
Lap 11: Meanwhile, Vettel is getting impatient behind Felipe Massa and has tried a move around the outside at the NGK chicane but he wasn't able to take away fifth.
Lap 11: Rosberg is running in the low 1m37s bracket and this is allowing Adrian Sutil to pull away in eighth to relative safety. Meantime Fisichella has caught the group in the space of one lap. We now have a four-car battle going on for ninth spot.
Lap 12: The scrap between Kovalainen, Button, Massa, Vettel and Raikkonen continues to ebb and flow with the McLaren setting a slow pace.
Lap 12: Mark Webber has been handed a drive through penalty for causing a collision with Rubens Barrichello off the start.
Lap 13: That is devastating news for the Australian, who was well on course to take over the lead at the first stops.
Lap 13: Giancarlo Fisichela is now all over the back of Alonso ... and he simply sails up the inside of the Renault at Turn 1. Very easy for the Italian and now he will have a crack at Kubica and then Rosberg.
Lap 14: Rubens Barrichello now has a lead of almost 17 seconds over Heikki Kovalainen and the developments in the stewards' room hand him the advantage.
Lap 14: Rosberg's pace in ninth is slowing all the time. Kubica is tight behind him and Fisichella is right there now.
Lap 14: Jenson Button reports on the radio that his super soft tyres are graining as he makes his first stop.
Lap 15: Button's strategy is not looking good as he will likely fall behind several cars in the final order.
He takes more soft tyres and a three-stop fuel load.
He takes more soft tyres and a three-stop fuel load.
Lap 15: Rubens Barrichello pits from the lead as Webber takes his drive through.
Lap 16: Button rejoins the action in 14th position in front of Nelson Piquet, but has several drivers ahead of him who have yet to stop.
Lap 16: Barrichello is back out in between the train of cars behind Kovalainen, again fitted with the super soft rubber and on a three-stop strategy.
Lap 17: Mark Webber leads after making his quick drive-through but he will be back in soon for a fuel stop.
To the relief of many, Kovalainen makes his first stop to take the harder tyres and a two-stop fuel load.
To the relief of many, Kovalainen makes his first stop to take the harder tyres and a two-stop fuel load.
Lap 17: Button is immediately using the pace from his new tyres and posts his personal best lap of the race so far. He is still 14th is catching Sebastien Buemi in 13th at over two seconds per lap.
Lap 18: Mark Webber stayed out as long as possible before taking that penalty and, with the pack slowed behind Kovalainen, he has slotted in ahead of Felipe Massa, who is also yet to stop.
That will be a nett second place for Webber once the front runners make their stops.
That will be a nett second place for Webber once the front runners make their stops.
Lap 19: With the first round of stops in progress for the leaders, Adrian Sutil is up to sixth and due to go on for several laps yet. His pace is decent and he is hanging on well to the front-runners.
Rosberg is now seventh, with Kubica eighth, Fisichella ninth and Alonso tenth ... and into the pits. Alonso stops and is out in a total pitlane time of 26.0 seconds.
Rosberg is now seventh, with Kubica eighth, Fisichella ninth and Alonso tenth ... and into the pits. Alonso stops and is out in a total pitlane time of 26.0 seconds.
Lap 20: Jenson Button passes Sebastien Buemi for what is 12th place as they exit the Mercedes Arena.
Interestingly, Button has emerged ahead of Heikki Kovalainen in that first round of stops. Kovalainen is 14th, as Fisichella pits from ninth.
Interestingly, Button has emerged ahead of Heikki Kovalainen in that first round of stops. Kovalainen is 14th, as Fisichella pits from ninth.
Lap 20: Rubens Barrichello continues to run behind Massa in third overall. This is bad news for the erstwhile leader as Felipe is still several laps away from his first stop.
Mark Webber is now 13 seconds ahead of Barrichello as he makes his first stop.
Mark Webber is now 13 seconds ahead of Barrichello as he makes his first stop.
Lap 20: Button now has a go at Nick Heidfeld and he is through into 10th place at Turn 1. Button continuing to make progress as we see Bourdais taking a trip off the road as he goes down the hill towards the NGK Chicane.
Lap 21: Bourdais has made it back into the pits and this looks like a lengthy stop for the Frenchman.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton
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