Lewis Hamilton has reclaimed the lead of the world championship with victory in the German GP after title rival Sebastian Vettel crashed out from the lead of the race.
On a day of astonishing drama at Hockenheim, Hamilton had to survive a lengthy post-race investigation – held several hours after the chequered flag had fallen – before his victory was officially confirmed.
Hamilton was investigated over his aborted entry to the pitlane after Vettel had crashed.
Hamilton keeps German GP victory after investigation
Hamilton had already charged into contention for victory before his world championship rival’s catastrophic error with 15 laps remaining.
“I’ve never had a race like this,” said Hamilton, who now leads the championship by 17 points. “That was the drive of my life.”
Having reclaimed the lead after team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was ordered to yield, Vettel appeared set for his first victory at Hockenheim before losing control of his Ferrari car on a damp track.
“I made a small mistake which had a huge impact on the result,” lamented Vettel.
1:11 Sebastian Vettel goes into the barriers, crashing out of the German GP while leading
Hamilton then had to withstand a panicked radio message to abort his pitlane entry, requiring a subsequent trip across the grass, as well as a late battle with team-mate Valtteri Bottas to secure the win.
Bottas challenged Hamilton wheel-to-wheel for three corners at the restart following a Safety Car for Vettel’s crash before Mercedes ordered the Finn to give up the chase.
After his qualifying disaster, Hamilton had started 14th on the grid. “Miracles do happen,” the Mercedes pitwall told their driver as Hamilton crossed the line for one of the most extraordinary victories of his career.
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WATCH: Vettel crashes out of the German GP
1:18 Kimi Raikkonen gets ordered by Ferrari to let Sebastian Vettel through into the lead at the German GP
Vettel loses the race – and the lead of the title race
Vettel has made a number of mistakes over the last year.
But nothing like this.
Through the early stages, the German appeared to have the race under full control as he led off the line and built up a sizeable lead over Bottas.
But Vettel’s afternoon then started to unravel when Raikkonen, the first of the frontrunners to pit, took track position at the front and stubbornly held on in front of an increasingly-agitated Vettel.
“This is just silly, I’m just losing time and destroying my tyres,” complained Vettel over team radio. “What are you waiting for? Can’t you see the tyre temperatures?”
The order to yield was eventually delivered but Vettel’s composure was then further challenged by a sudden mid-race rain shower.
As Bottas and Raikkonen, now fading on his ageing tyres, battled for second, and Hamilton started to charge after a switch to ultrasoft tyres, Vettel lost control of his Ferrari at the hairpin, slithering into the gravel and into the barriers.
Race lost, championship lead lost.
“I braked just a tiny bit too late for the corner, locked the front tyres and then the rear ones, so that I couldn’t turn the car anymore,” said Vettel, who held a nine-second lead at the time.
0:20 Lewis Hamilton avoids pitting at the last minute, cutting across the grass to get back on track
Hamilton produces ‘a miracle’ for victory
If his qualifying disaster was a nightmare, Hamilton’s race was the stuff of dreams.
Sensibly cautious off the line, the Mercedes driver overtook Alonso and Leclerc to reach the top 10 by the fourth lap and a move on the Haas of Kevin Magnussen propelled him into the top five by lap 14.
Running long, Hamilton pitted for ultrasofts on lap 42, just moments before the rain – a constant threat throughout the afternoon – finally started to fall. As Red Bull’s Max Verstappen swapped for intermediates, Mercedes’ tyre call proved inspired as Hamilton used the extra grip to set a blistering pace while Red Bull were forced to call Verstappen back in for slicks as conditions improved.
Hamilton was already within striking distance of Raikkonen and Bottas when Vettel encountered calamity ahead of them, triggering a Safety Car and more moments of extraordinary drama as Mercedes called in Hamilton to pit and then ordered him to stay out. As Raikkonen and Bottas darted down the pitlane, Hamilton, already halfway down the pit entry, slithered back on to the track over the grass to take the lead.
Once the action resumed, Bottas, enjoying the luxury of fresh tyres, swarmed over Hamilton. There was barely any daylight between the two Mercedes cars for corner after corner as a defiant Hamilton defended valiantly before an apologetic Mercedes pitwall asked a compliant Bottas to hold position.
After the chequered flag fall, a storm of biblical proportions struck the Hockenheim paddock. In its mayhem, it would have made a fitting final act to a race-day story that had it all.
There was still, however, one more twist in the tale as Hamilton faced the stewards for over an hour before his victory was finally ratified.
German GP race result
| Driver | Team | Time |
| 1) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:32:29.845 |
| 2) Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | +4.5 |
| 3) Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | +6.7 |
| 4) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +7.6 |
| 5) Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | +26.6 |
| 6) Romain Grosjean | Haas | +28.8 |
| 7) Sergio Perez | Force India | +30.5 |
| 8) Esteban Ocon | Force India | +31.7 |
| 9) Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | +32.3 |
| 10) Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso | +34.1 |
| 11) Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +34.9 |
| 12) Carlos Sainz | Renault | +43.0 |
| 13) Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | +46.6 |
| 14) Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso | +1 lap |
| 15) Charles Leclerc | Sauber | +1 lap |
| 16) Fernando Alonso | McLaren | Retired |
| Lance Stroll | Williams | Retired |
| Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | Retired |
| Sergey Sirotkin | Williams | Retired |
| Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | Retired |
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