A starting and a end of crazy people. Thus edition 2007 of the Great Prize of Europe can be transformed briefly. Rain was the great protagonist of the day and whereas for some pilots was a blessing, for others became a nightmare.
Ferrari, with its pilot Kimi Räikkönen, started like great dominating from the day Saturday marking second pole of the Finn, who arrived at Germany with two consecutive victories. The champion Fernando Alonso marked to the second best time of the classification in spite of an error on the end of the return. Even so the same Spanish recognized that hardly pole to Kimi had cleared him.
The great scare of Saturday, and the whole day, was the terrible confusion and accident of Lewis Hamilton, leader of the match, when the classification finalized. In spite of to have collided to more than 200 Km./h the Briton was unharmed and was qualified to compete Sunday.

It takes the race and by very little Massa it was not able to surpass to his coequiper Räikkönen. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

Sunday showed cloudy and already in grilla the threatening clouds indicated that the chaos was next. Only the newcomer German Markus Winkelhock, of Spyker Ferrari, chose to release from boxes and to change its tires to those of rain, this would be worth to him to newcomer an unexpected outpost until the first position.
The beginning of the test showed Kimi Räikkönen doing an impeccable starting whereas Fernando Alonso lost the second put at the hands of Felipe Massa. Sensational she was the moved one of Lewis Hamilton who in few meters jumped of the tenth the fifth position. Immediately after the starting the chaos untied. First it was an inconceivable shock between Heidfeld and Kubica, both companions of BMW. Later Nico Rosberg wore to the Honda of Rubens Barrichello.
The things were complicaron still more when rain untied with all the fury in the second return. Quickly the first curve was flooded bringing about a multiple confusion that involved to the cars Toro Rosso de Liuzzi and Speed, the Williams de Rosberg, the Spyker de Sutil and the Honda of Jenson Button. Also the leader of the match Lewis Hamilton confused, but the blessing arrived from the sky when a crane cleared to the McLaren of the gravel it again put and it in the track. With a lost turn Lewis could return to the race, while the other confused pilots thought, Why to and not? …

Festival of confusions. Liuzzi was on the verge of hitting to the car of security and the tractor that cleared the cars. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

The conditions of track did not give for more and the race was suspended with red flag. For that then leader it was the surprising Markus Winkelhock, that was the unique pilot who did not pause in boxes and of this form he captured the unexpected leadership. Kimi Räikkönen withdrew valuable when it went of length in the entrance to boxes and had to journey all a return with tires of dry floor in water drawing up flooded.
After little more than 25 minutes the race was relaunched again with sun. The leadership of Winkelhock lasted a sigh and as much Massa as they advanced it to Alonso in the first turn.
In as much to Lewis Hamilton it was allowed him to recover the turn and to be placed at the end of the squad, but before the race is relaunched and with the car of security in track, to the Briton it was become ordained to him to go to boxes and to wear tires of dry floor. The maneuver was not, Lewis could not maintain the car in track and wasted as much time that returned to lose the turn.

The Spyker de Winkelhock leads the GP before the race is relaunched again. The German was pleasant to lead. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

As the track was dried the yield of the Ferrari improved substantially. Alonso tried to still exceed to Massa with humid track, but when the conditions improved the Brazilian it accelerated and it got to obtain an advantage of almost 8 seconds. Räikkönen recovered and advanced closely together until the third position of Alonso, but passed half of competition the hydraulic system of its Ferrari began to fail until finally it wavered in return 34. A hardest blow for the aspirations of Kimi in the championship.
Also Winkelhock, Schumacher (touched by Heidfeld) and Sato left previously.
In the end the race seemed controlled at the hands of Felipe Massa, nevertheless slowly Fernando Alonso began to drain difference to him until arriving at the 4,9 seconds before the resupply from both.

Alonso attacks Massa when the track begins to become damp quickly. It would exceed finally it. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

Unfortunately for Massa the sky began to become cloudy for want of 10 minutes to culminate the race. The pronosticadores German did not fail and at the exact moment at which they predicted rain this became present on the perimeter of the automobile race track. There everything changed, because Alonso was in much better form than Massa and after the forced shutdown in boxes of all the competitors to return to rain tires, the Spanish surpassed to 5 returns of the end the Brazilian.
The dispute by position between both was very closed. Massa as soon as it could patiently take his car by the track and Alonso hoped the propitious moment to exceed it. The advancement maneuver was of film, attacked it to the Spanish by the external side of curve 6, both cars were close and the Asturian one captured the leadership the best style Gilles Villeneuve or Nigel Mansell.
“It was a really exciting race for both pilots and all the fans. The conditions were incredible - mainly in the beginning when we made aquaplaning by all sides. In dry conditions the Ferrari more expresses were something, but in the last part, when it began to rain again, we were faster and I could advance to Felipe to do to me with the leadership. During the battle we touched ourselves twice, but thus it is motoring, and in addition we were fighting by the victory. During my last shutdown there was much traffic and I had a very even battle and I was side to side with Giancar it. Generally it was a good weekend for me, and I added valuable points for the world-wide championship, as much for me as for the equipment. The equipment did a great work in difficult conditions”, explained Alonso winner.
Massa little could make return to fight the position to him to Alonso, its car did not respond and the psychic blow offered by Alonso was deadly. The Brazilian culminated finally to more than 8 seconds.

Massa was put very nervous after the race and discussed with Alonso increpando it by the allowed maneuver of the Spanish… Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

“A second place that leaves a bitter flavor me in the mouth. It had made a strong race until last rain, and once we put the rain tires I began to feel vibrations that desbalanceaban the car much. And that, after to have been really strong with floor wet in the beginning of the race. With the dry track I could take terrain with respect to Alonso gradually because the car was fantastic. I was lucky in the beginning because I could stay in the track when the conditions did that outside almost impossible, but I did not have as much luck in the end. But thus they are the races and I must accept it. The discussion with Fernando? He was a little in the edge, but soon he requested excuses and there he was finished. The positive is that I recovered much in the championship of pilots. Still it is much ahead in the season and we must be trusting”, ended up saying Felipe.
Besides the dispute between Alonso and Massa, the battle by the third position also was extraordinary. Mark Webber made a shining race with its Red Bull and on the end the attack of the Williams de Alex Wurz resisted, who was on the verge of surpassing to the Australian in last chicane.
Webber acceded for the second time to podio in its race, its unique podio goes back to the GP of Monaco of 2005 when third party in its Williams finished.

Fight hand by hand between Webber, Wurz and the Renault de Kovalainen. The Australian raised podio. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

“This one is podio that I can enjoy in a special day for us. It deserved it to the equipment, after all the effort that came doing. He is huge to add some points in the table, especially because in addition David (Coulthard) finalized fifth. I did not do a good one released and I was delayed, rain certainly appeared before the awaited thing. We had to make a fast decision and were by the intermediate tires, but soon rain made worse much and we had very many aquaplaning”, commented Webber.
Alex Wurz returned to shine and took to its Williams to the fourth position. The Austrian also finalized third party in the chaotic race of Canada of this season. Evidently when the river this scrambled Alex is a very good fisherman …

Wurz made a great race and obtained its second better result with Williams. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

“Today almost I could savor champagne! I am very happy with the fourth position and the many points. It was a very hard race, I had to use all my mental power and to press at the correct moments. Most difficult it was to maintain the calm because in situations thus it is easy to let itself take. I had to concentrate and to take the car to me to the line of goal. The car today was well. In the last returns I pressed much to Mark Webber because I saw that a little slid and hoped that it committed an error. It committed one small one just in the end, but it was not sufficient as to mount an attack and, by all means, my primary target era to add points for the equipment. One could say that to finish to 0,2 seconds behind a place in podio he is frustrating, but I am happy with the fourth positioning”, mentioned Wurz.
David Coulthard started from the last position of grilla and arrived fifth thanks to its experience still in spite of to be struck by Rosberg in the first return. The Scot did not commit errors and along with Webber he added valuable points for escudería of the Red Toro.

The companions of BMW surprised themselves to each other and of miracle they were not outside the race. Photo: http://f1.racing-live.com/

Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen completed the zone of points. The Finn of Renault could have finished in front of both pilots of Renault but for an exaggerated strategy from his equipment. In as much both pilots of BMW they scored still having itself hit to each other in the second curve of the first return.
Hamilton finally finished ninth and by far it deserved a point. The Briton did several advancements loaded of adrenalin but he saw very harmed when he had to yield the passage to him to the Brazilian Felipe Massa, even though rate even rolled to the same or better than the leader. Similarly little it served to east Ferrari request to him to the commissioners, because Alonso would be in charge to later ruin the celebration a pair to them of returns.
The Great Prize of Europe was perfect for Fernando Alonso, who now is to only two points of his young one to coequiper Lewis Hamilton, to 11 of Felipe Massa and 18 of Kimi Räikkönen.

<<<EXTRA>>>

The key of the GP: The operation of the McLaren and the skill of Fernando Alonso under rain. Far beyond the rest.

The maneuver of the GP: The final amble of Alonso to Massa. Simply spectacular.

Outstanding pilot I: Fernando Alonso. He handled loose, he did not commit errors and he demonstrated because they call bichampion of the world.

Outstanding pilot II: Mark Webber. A great race in very complex conditions. Podio deserved for a fighter.

The surprise: Markus Winkelhock leading the first sections of the race, not believing…

Deception I: The put second of Felipe Massa. The Brazilian did not hide his deception and rages.

Deception II: The abandonment of Kimi Räikkönen. After two consecutive victories, this it was a hard psychic blow.

© Alexander Lucardi
Photos: http://f1.racing-live.com/