Lewis Hamilton has won both of the last two Formula 1 races at the Hockenheimring. Will he make it three in a row this weekend?
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton has won both of the last two Formula 1 races at the Hockenheimring, meaning that he is set to go for his third consecutive victory at the track in this Sunday’s race, the German Grand Prix.
That said, Hamilton’s most recent two victories at Hockenheimring have come in the 2016 season and the 2018 season, as the track did not host a race in the 2017 season. In fact, the track has not hosted a race in an even year since it did so in the 2005 season. Renault’s Fernando Alonso won the race that year.
The last race at the 16-turn, 2.842-mile (4.574-kilometer) Hockenheimring road course in Am Motodrom, Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany that was won by a driver other than Hamilton was held in July of 2014. This race was won by Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg. Hamilton, meanwhile, finished it in third place.
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In the 2016 German Grand Prix, Hamilton started in second place behind teammate Nico Rosberg. He passed him for the lead on the first lap of the 67-lap race and went on to lead all 67 of the race’s laps en route to a dominant victory.
This pass for the lead was the race’s only lead change. Hamilton ended up winning it by 6.996 seconds over Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo in second. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen finished in third while Rosberg finished back in fourth.
In the 2018 German Grand Prix, Hamilton started all the way back in 14th place after suffering a hydraulic failure in qualifying. He appeared slated for a fourth place finish, but polesitter and race leader Sebastian Vettel of Scuderia Ferrari crashed with 16 laps remaining in the 67-lap race.
Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen came into the pits from first and second place, respectively, while Hamilton stayed out and inherited the lead. He led the race’s final 15 laps en route to a 4.535-second victory over Bottas. The race featured five lead changes. His 14th place starting position in it was the lowest starting position for a race winner since Fernando Alonso won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix after starting in 15th.
Will Hamilton earn his third consecutive victory at Hockenheimring in this Sunday’s race, or will a driver other than Hamilton win at the track for the first time since Rosberg did so in July of 2014?
The fact that Hamilton won last year’s German Grand Prix after starting in 14th place shows that he can win it regardless of where he starts, but the fact is, circumstances late in that race did play into his favor to help him do so, so he certainly isn’t a shoe-in for the victory.
That said, he likely won’t qualify that poorly for the race again, so he should be considered the favorite heading into this weekend, especially since he has earned seven victories in the first 10 races of the 21-race 2019 season and he has only finished outside of the top two on one occasion so far this year.
Will Lewis Hamilton earn his third consecutive German Grand Prix victory by winning this weekend’s race at Hockenheimring? This race, which is the 11th race of the 2019 Formula 1 season, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 28, and it is set to be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 9:10 a.m. ET.