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2014 German GP paper review: Nico Rosberg wins, but Lewis Hamilton grabs the headlines

Fleet Street impressed with 'Gung-ho Hamilton's' charge through pack

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In a race featuring great battles, the stand out move in Germany was Lewis Hamilton overtaking Kimi Raikonnen and Daniel Ricciardo to move up to 7th place.

Nico Rosberg may have taken home the winner’s trophy, but it was Lewis Hamilton’s charge from 20th to third that was the focus of Monday’s papers following the German Grand Prix.

‘Gung-ho Hamilton finishes thrilling third after starting 20th,’ was the Daily Mail’s headline, with Jonathan McEvoy stating that the 2008 World Champion ‘drove swashbucklingly well'.

McEvoy did admit, though, that ‘the only people who could possibly have caught Nico Rosberg on Sunday were Interpol' after the World Championship leader triumphed by 20 seconds.

In The Guardian, Giles Richards wrote that Rosberg’s drive was ‘well executed’ but that ‘in an action packed grand prix it was Lewis Hamilton’s charge from 20th on the grid to third place that had fans on the edge of their seats'.

Richards described the Mercedes driver's move on Kimi Raikkonen as ‘breath-taking’, while it also impressed Kevin Eason of The Times.

‘A typically swashbuckling day of 15 on-track overtaking manoeuvres, including one spectacular three-abreast charge into the Hockenheim hairpin with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull outside him,’ he wrote.

Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo battle
Image: Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo battle

Using a football analogy to summarise the weekend Eason added: ‘Germany’s golden boy got the prize and the Englishman was stuck with the penalty. Some things never change.’

More from German Gp 2014

 

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Lewis Hamilton raced from 20th on the grid to 2nd place in Germany, resulting in some nail-biting action.
 

Richards, though, believes Hamilton’s drive after his qualifying woes was beyond expectations: ‘to go from such tribulations, just a few hours before the race, to turning in a controlled but aggressive drive, including the fastest lap, was a marvellous turnaround rewarded with a clutch of points that may yet prove crucial at the season’s end.’

There was praise for the man who separated the two Mercedes drivers on the podium as well, with The Daily Telegraph’s Daniel Johnson stating that Valtteri Bottas ‘is making waves in Formula 1 after his third successive podium,’ whilst Eason said the Finn ‘is emerging as a star of the future'.

In the Independent, David Tremayne reckoned parts of Sunday’s race could be used as the perfect example of how the 2014 season has unfolded.

F1 Midweek Report

‘The 34th lap of the German Grand Prix on Sunday was the exact midpoint of the season – and it perfectly summarised the racing thus far,’ he wrote. 

‘Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was waltzing comfortably towards his fourth victory of the season with barely a moment of worry, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton was driving the wheels off his car playing yet another game of catch-up in the face of adversity.’

Tremayne also drew attention to what he felt was an inexplicable decision not to deploy the safety car after Adrian Sutil stopped on the pit-straight. 

‘If ever there was a need for the safety car that seemed to be it, but the deployment never happened and it was an unacceptable three minutes before marshals finally moved it to heave the stricken vehicle out of the way.’

Adrian Sutil's car is recovered by the marshals as Kimi Raikkonen flashes past
Image: Adrian Sutil's car is recovered by the marshals as Kimi Raikkonen flashes past

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