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Formula 1: German Grand Prix is Ferrari’s best chance for a breakthrough

By Asher Fair

HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 26: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 26, 2019 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 26: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheimring on July 26, 2019 in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) /
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The German Grand Prix is Ferrari’s best chance to experience their first true breakthrough performance of the 2019 Formula 1 season.

I’ve become a broken record saying how “(insert race) is Scuderia Ferrari’s best chance for a breakthrough performance” or something along those lines throughout the course of the 2019 Formula 1 season.

With 10 of the season’s scheduled 21 races in the books, Ferrari are still searching or their first victory since now Alfa Romeo Racing driver Kimi Raikkonen won the United States Grand Prix last October.

The Italian team appeared to have the upper hand over Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport leading up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Canadian Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this season.

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But Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won in Bahrain, Monaco and Canada while Valtteri Bottas delivered the Silver Arrows a victory in Azerbaijan. Ferrari successfully defeated Mercedes in Austria, but there was one problem. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen took the checkered flag after passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for the lead with under three laps remaining.

Despite the dominance that Mercedes have shown by winning nine of the season’s first 10 races and the assertion that Verstappen has made as the clear next best driver in the standings, Ferrari have been right there. The wins category features Ferrari tied with what have become the glorified Formula 2 team of Williams, but there’s obviously a lot more to it than that.

This Sunday’s German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring is the Scuderia’s single best chance for a breakthrough performance so far this season.

The championship battles are basically over. Mercedes are going to win their sixth consecutive constructor championship, and Hamilton is going to win his sixth career championship, which would be his third consecutive title and his fifth title in the last six years.

So this Sunday’s 67-lap race around the 16-turn, 2.842-mile (4.574-kilometer) Hockenheimring road course in Am Motodrom, Hockenheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany isn’t their “last hope” as it pertains to the championship battles like previous races have been.

It’s their first of 11 hopes throughout the rest of the season to finally break through with a victory, and it happens to be their best chance so far this season.

Leclerc and teammate Sebastian Vettel topped the speed charts in both of today’s practice session for this race. Vettel topped the speed chart in the first practice session by recording a top lap time of 74.013 seconds (138.235 miles per hour). Leclerc finished in second place by recording a top lap time of 74.268 seconds (137.761 miles per hour).

Leclerc, meanwhile, topped the speed chart in the second practice session by recording a top lap time of 73.449 seconds (139.297 miles per hour). Vettel finished in second place by recording a top lap time of 73.573 seconds (139.062 miles per hour).

Vettel dominated last year’s German Grand Prix after starting from the pole position, so Ferrari have been strong at the Hockenheimring even prior to this weekend. But with 16 laps remaining, he crashed with a massive lead. Hamilton ended up going on to win the race.

Hamilton finished in third place in both practice sessions only slightly behind the Ferrari teammates with top lap times of 74.315 seconds (137.673 miles per hour) and 73.595 seconds (139.020 miles per hour), but with the heat that has been present at the Hockenheimring, this race could be challenging for Mercedes.

After qualifying in second place for the Austrian Grand Prix behind Leclerc, Hamilton was demoted to fourth on the grid with a penalty, and he only managed to finish the race in fifth after his car experienced overheating issues. Bottas only managed a distant third behind Verstappen and Leclerc.

The German Grand Prix could produce more of the same, and with Ferrari already having the upper hand in practice, they could be in a position to finally end what has become a 13-race win drought.

The question is, will it be Leclerc who earns the first victory of his Formula 1 career, or will Vettel win for the first time since he won the Belgian Grand Prix late last August to end his 18-race win drought?

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Will Ferrari’s strength in practice for the German Grand Prix translate to their first victory of the 2019 Formula 1 season in the race itself? Qualifying for this race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 from the Hockenheimring tomorrow morning beginning at 8:55 a.m. ET, and the race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday, July 28 beginning at 9:05 a.m. ET.

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