2007 European Grand Prix

The 2007 European Grand Prix (formally the 2007 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe ) [ 1 ] was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring , Nürburg , Germany on 22 July 2007. It was the tenth race of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship . The 60-lap race was won by Fernando Alonso driving for the McLaren team after starting from second position. Felipe Massa finished second for Ferrari with Mark Webber third in a Red Bull Racing car.

Background

On 29 August 2006 it was announced that the European Grand Prix had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season. Since then there has only been one GP hosted in Germany each year, alternating between Hockenheimring and Nürburgring . However, the name for this Grand Prix was in doubt. While originally thought to be the German Grand Prix from 2007, [ 2 ] the title was later changed to "Großer Preis von Europa" (European Grand Prix), [ 3 ] because the Hockenheimring held the naming rights...

Race

Murray Walker provided radio commentary to listeners in the UK on BBC Radio 5 Live – the first time he had provided UK coverage of an F1 event since retiring in 2001.

Christijan Albers did not drive for Spyker F1 due to his failure to pay sponsorship money. His replacement was German driver Markus Winkelhock , son of former Formula One driver Manfred Winkelhock . This was the last race for Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed who was later replaced by BMW Sauber test driver Sebastian Vettel .

Race

As a tribute to the passengers of TAM Airlines Flight 3054 , Felipe Massa had a black stripe on his helmet in memory of the victims. Rubens Barrichello also had stripes on his helmet, and Red Bull drivers David Coulthard and Mark Webber had small Brazilian flags on their helmets in reference to the accident. [ 5 ]

Race

During the first lap it started to rain, sooner and more heavily than most teams had expected. A number of drivers lost control, and many pitted at the end of the lap to change into intermediate-weather tyres. Leader Kimi Räikkönen attempted to pit, but lost grip and ran wide, having to do an extra lap on dry tyres and dropping to seventh place. Winkelhock thus found himself in the lead as a result of his early gamble, the first time that a Spyker had led a Grand Prix.

Some drivers had stayed out in the hope that the rain would stop, but it worsened, such that full wet tyres were required, rather than intermediates. Winkelhock had a huge advantage as the only driver on the right tyres, and led the race by 33 seconds ahead of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso , who had pitted at the end of lap one along with other drivers. By the start of lap three, the weather had become so bad that water was flowing round turn 1 and was nicknamed the 'turn 1 river'.

Jenson Button had moved up from a mid-grid position to 4th despite coming in on the 1st lap to change tyres. However, he spun off into the wall at the start of the 3rd lap, quickly followed by Lewis Hamilton who locked up. Adrian Sutil had a huge spin into the same place as Button and Hamilton and just missed both of them as he hit the wall. Nico Rosberg and Scott Speed also went off at turn 1. Anthony Davidson then locked up at the "river" but stopped his car just before the gravel and was able...

At about 2:20 p.m. local time the rain stopped and the drivers were pushed on to the starting grid, in the order that they were one lap before the red flag. Jenson Button, Adrian Sutil, Nico Rosberg , Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi did not take the restart as they all aquaplaned off the track at turn one on lap three, causing the red flag.

Race

From then onwards, the track dried out, and the faster Ferrari of Massa led Fernando Alonso. Mark Webber was in third with Alexander Wurz chasing him hard. But on lap 52, more rain fell, and all drivers except for Lewis Hamilton pitted for intermediate tyres. Hamilton managed to get up to a points position of eighth, before eventually having to pit, dropping him back down to tenth. Fernando Alonso's McLaren performed well in the conditions, and he passed Massa on lap 56 around the outside at tu...

Quick Facts

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2007 European Grand Prix The Nürburgring (GP track)

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2007 European Grand Prix Distance

Table 1

Pos.	No.	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	6	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:31.522	1:31.237
2	1	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	1:31.074	1:30.983
3	5	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:31.447	1:30.912
4	9	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	1:31.889	1:31.652
5	10	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	1:31.961	1:31.444
6	15	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1:32.629	1:31.661
7	4	Heikki Kovalainen	Renault	1:32.594	1:31.783
8	12	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:32.381	1:31.859
9	11	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	1:32.446	1:31.843
10	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1:31.587	1:31.185

Table 2

Pos.	No.	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	1	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	60	2:06:26.358
2	5	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	60	+8.155
3	15	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	60	+1:05.674
4	17	Alexander Wurz	Williams-Toyota	60	+1:05.937
5	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	60	+1:13.656
6	9	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	60	+1:20.298
7	10	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	60	+1:22.415
8	4	Heikki Kovalainen	Renault	59	+1 lap
9	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	59	+1 lap
10	3	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	59	+1 lap

Table 3

+/–	Pos.	Driver	Points
nan	1	Lewis Hamilton	70
nan	2	Fernando Alonso	68
1	3	Felipe Massa	59
1	4	Kimi Räikkönen	52
nan	5	Nick Heidfeld	36
Source:[10]	Source:[10]	Source:[10]	Source:[10]

F1ABY Commentary

Does the scent of damp asphalt and high-octane fuel truly capture the essence of a battle fought beneath the shadow of the Eifel mountains? Alonso, a sculptor of speed, meticulously carved his path to victory today, a testament to calculated aggression and unwavering focus. The roar of the McLaren engine, a primal symphony of power, resonated through the historic circuit – a sound that whispers of legends forged in the crucible of competition. Ferrari, relentless as the German hills themselves, pushed Massa to the limit, a valiant pursuit that underscored the fierce rivalry simmering beneath the surface. Twenty-seven points separating the teams… a chasm built not just on velocity, but on the strategic heart of a sport. The Nürburgring remembers, doesn’t it? It holds the echoes of countless triumphs and tragedies, a silent witness to the enduring drama of Formula One.

The scent of high-octane fuel and damp asphalt—a ghost of Nürburgring’s legendary curves—still clings to this victory. Fernando Alonso, a sculptor of speed, carved his way to the European Grand Prix crown, a testament to a generation where raw talent and a machine’s song dictated destiny. Let the echoes of that triumph resonate.

F1ABY Trivia

Alonso, a sculptor of speed within the McLaren MP4-23, navigated the slick conditions with a grace that bordered on the spectral, his engine – a 2. 4-liter V8 churning out 740 horsepower – a precise instrument responding to the track’s every nuance. Observe the Spyker’s Ferrari-supplied V10, a valiant but ultimately restrained beast, producing a mere 675, a stark reminder of the gulf in engineering ambition. The Williams-Toyota, too, wrestled with the elements, their 3. 0-liter V8, a powerful unit, struggling to find purchase on the treacherous surface.

It wasn't merely dampening the asphalt; it was blurring the edges of history, obscuring the raw aggression that defined this circuit. Alonso’s victory, snatched from second, wasn't a blaze of speed, but a calculated ballet of tyre management, a testament to the subtle artistry demanded by a track perpetually wrestling with its own temperament. Consider this: of the 37 races held at Nürburgring prior to 2007, only six drivers had ever secured a win from a non-pole position start – a statistic that speaks volumes about the brutal, unforgiving nature of this legendary venue.

F1ABY Tales

The rain, a venomous grey, hammered against the Nürburgring asphalt – a frantic drumming mirroring the pulse of Alonso’s McLaren. A wheel glance with Massa, a near miss so brutal it sent shudders through the Spaniard’s cockpit. The scent of wet rubber and ozone, a primal aroma of speed and danger, filled the air. A fleeting glimpse of victory, snatched from the jaws of a furious rival, and the old rhythms of this circuit, this battle, roared back to life. Twenty-seven points separating McLaren and Ferrari, a chasm carved by ambition and the relentless pursuit of glory. This wasn’t merely a race; it was a reckoning.

The rain, a bruised violet against the Teutonic stone, always held a particular sorrow for Klaus Abraham, the Nürburgring’s long-serving scrutineer. He’d seen countless battles waged beneath this relentless sky, felt the tremors of ambition and despair vibrate through the track’s very bones. Today, it was Alonso, a silhouette of focused intensity, navigating the treacherous Kerbs with a precision born of a thousand calculated risks. Twenty-seven points. The gap between titans, a chasm carved by speed and strategy. The scent of wet asphalt and burning rubber, a familiar, haunting perfume. This wasn’t merely a race; it was a reckoning.