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Formula 1: Post-race driver grades after 2018 German Grand Prix

By Benjamin Kuhl

HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 22: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with second placed Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP and Head of Mercedes Cars Dieter Zetsche on the podium during the Formula One Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 22, 2018 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 22: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with second placed Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP and Head of Mercedes Cars Dieter Zetsche on the podium during the Formula One Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 22, 2018 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY – JULY 22: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY – JULY 22: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /

And the crowd goes wild

Spectators had multiple reasons to be on their feet and cheering during the German Grand Prix whether they were for or against a particular driver or drivers. When you have two of the star drivers starting from the back of the pack, the championship lead on the line, a raging mid-pack battle and a storm on the horizon, it is hard to imagine a race with more potential for action.

At the front, team orders were displayed in different ways by Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. Ferrari used team orders to get Sebastian Vettel in front of teammate Kimi Raikkonen on lap 39 after Vettel communicated to his team that being behind Raikkonen was hurting his tires and slowing him down.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport used team orders to keep Valtteri Bottas from attacking Lewis Hamilton during the final restart when Bottas came alongside Hamilton and made a challenge for the lead. Obviously, both teams were trying to maximize their chances to win driver and constructor points at the expense of the personal achievements of one driver on each team.

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Many fans were excited to see the possibility of rain, which did manage to throw some teams and drivers for a loop. The dark clouds were evident and radar reports confirmed that the drivers would experience rain, but how much rain they would experience became the question of the day.

Some drivers decided to duck into the pits for intermediate tires, but they quickly regretted this when the track began to dry out again. Those who stayed on dry tires benefited greatly. It was this rain that brought the biggest shocker of the race when Vettel lost control of his car and buried it into a barrier, ending his race and removing him from the points lead.

Hamilton managed to drive incredibly methodically throughout the entire race by slowly moving up through the field and keeping his car intact. He was also quick during the poor weather conditions.

Hamilton was looked at with scrutiny when, under a yellow flag period, he crossed over the pit lane commitment line in order to rejoin the track. In many other areas of motorsport, defying the pit lane parameters results in a penalty regardless of who the driver is. As a result of this incident, however, Hamilton was only handed a reprimand, which is his first of the season.

Regardless of who your favorite driver is, the 2018 German Grand Prix was multi-layered with more excitement and passing than we have seen in previous races. The top drivers were forced to compete and deal with challenging weather while the teams and pit crews tried to form the best plans on how to deal with the rain. It was a phenomenal spectacle.

Next: Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time

Formula 1 comes back on Sunday, July 29 when the series travels to Budapest for the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. The race is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 9:10 a.m. ET.

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