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, the title was later changed to "Großer Preis von Europa" (European Grand Prix), 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 . 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. 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. 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...
Race Result
| 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 |
Qualifying
| 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 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
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.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
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.