Nuerburgring, 12 July 2009

Felipe Massa started the second half of his 2009 campaign in fine style, with his first podium and the team's second of the season, when he finished the German Grand Prix in third place. Kimi was forced to retire with a mechanical problem, having completed 34 laps. The race was won by Mark Webber, the Red Bull Renault driver thus securing his first ever grand prix victory in his eighth season of Formula 1. He finished ahead of his team-mate Sebastian Vettel. In the Constructors’ classification, the Scuderia is still fourth, now only 2.5 points behind Toyota .

After qualifying had been hit by rain on Saturday, the race started under sunny skies and a temperature of 18 degrees. Felipe Massa was eighth on the grid with his Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen in ninth. Timo Glock in the Toyota would start from the pit lane.




KERS played its part at the start as Felipe immediately moved up four places to fourth and Kimi was seventh. Hamilton had charged up from fifth and almost led but he went off the track and his car appeared damaged as he dropped to last. At the start of the second lap, Button got his Brawn past Felipe, so the Brazilian was now fifth, with Vettel right behind him in the Red Bull.

The order after two laps was Barrichello, Webber, Kovalainen, another KERS start from sixth to third, Button, Felipe, Vettel, Kimi, Sutil, Rosberg, with Kubica rounding off the top ten. The Brawns were on a three stop strategy. After six laps, while Barrichello was one second clear of Webber and the Australian had a 9.3 second gap to Kovalainen, behind the Finn was a train made up of Button, Massa and Vettel, with Kimi in seventh, 1.8 behind the German.

On lap 8, Vettel made a move on Felipe, but he could not get past. On lap 11, the Stewards decided that Webber had caused a collision – he pulled over on Barrichello at the start – and he was given a drive through penalty.

Button was the first to pit on lap 13 with team mate Barrichello coming in on 14, at the same time that Webber took his penalty. Kovalainen who had been holding up most of the field came in on 15. Unusually, Webber now found himself in the lead, although he would have to come in again for his refuelling which you cannot do at the same time as a penalty. Felipe was second, running a long first stint, ahead of fellow countryman, Barrichello, with Vettel fourth ahead of Kimi, with Sutil an amazing sixth in the Force India.

By lap 23, Felipe was leading after Barrichello pitted, with the Brawn driver still second, ahead of Kimi, Sutil and Rosberg and then Kimi was the first of the two F60s to refuel on lap 24. Felipe came in on lap 25. Of the leaders, only Sutil in second and Rosberg in third had yet to pit and Felipe and Kimi were down in ninth and tenth respectively, behind Vettel. The Force India man came in on lap 27 and when he left the pits he collided with Kimi, removing part of his front wing. After the race, the Stewards deemed it was just a racing accident and no action was taken. After Rosberg finally refuelled on lap 29, the order one lap later at the halfway point of the 60 lap race was Barrichello, Webber, Button, Vettel, Felipe now fifth, but Rosberg now split the two Ferraris with Kimi seventh ahead of Kovalainen, Nakajima (yet to pit,) and Fisichella tenth.

Button made his second of three stops on lap 31 and his team mate Barrichello came in next, leaving Webber back in the lead again. The Brazilian had a longer stop and he came out in fifth, just ahead of Kimi, while Felipe had now moved up to third. Button also got past the Finn on lap 33.Kimi slowed dramatically, obviously having some sort of problem with the car, eventually pulling into the garage to retire. Barrichello was also having a bad day, as he had to come in again after there had been a problem with the refuelling rig at his previous stop, not putting enough fuel in the car. In third place, Felipe was 1.1 down on Vettel, but lapping fractionally quicker than the German, who trailed his team-mate and race leader by 22.6 seconds. But with 20 laps to go, the Vettel-Massa gap had grown to 2.2.

The race leader made his second and final pit stop on lap 43, coming out just ahead of Felipe, who was temporarily second when Vettel came in next time round. The Ferrari man made a very quick final stop on lap 45, rejoining in sixth place behind Vettel. Barrichello came in again on lap 50, followed by Button next time round. So with eight laps to go and most of the significant pit stops completed, the order was Webber, Vettel, Felipe, Rosberg, Button, Barrichello, Alonso and Kovalainen in the last of the points positions. And that was the order at the chequered flag, with a happy Felipe delighted to stand on a podium once again.