Lewis Hamilton claimed victory in a chaotic German Grand Prix to take the lead of the 2018 Formula 1 championship.
The Mercedes driver started 14th after a hydraulics problem in qualifying, but was able to climb up through the order before a late pit stop put him on fresh rubber as the rain began to fall.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel had led the majority of the race after starting his home grand prix from pole, but ran wide in slippery collisions, running through the gravel and into the wall.
During the following safety car, Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas both dived into the pits, gifting Hamilton the race lead. Bottas tried to challenge his team-mate on the restart, but Hamilton was eventually able to get the heat back into his tyres and pull away from the Finn.
Bottas was later told to hold position and finished second, with Raikkonen rounding out the podium.
Red Bull opted to gamble when the rain began to fall, bringing Max Verstappen into the pits to switch to intermediate tyres. Only a handful of laps later, the weather began to dry and Verstappen was forced to pit for fresh slick tyres. The Dutchman didn’t lose any positions, but the two extra stops meant he was put out of the fight for the podium. He finished fourth.
The rain continued to switch on and off in the closing stages of the race, with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez both spinning in the wet conditions, but both were able to continue.
While Bottas was quick to obey team orders, the same couldn’t be said for Kimi Raikkonen early in the race. Ferrari put the Finn on an alternative two stop strategy, meaning he was ahead of Vettel after the championship contender came in for his lone pit stop. Vettel struggled to find a way past his team-mate, complaining about tyre temperatures, and Ferrari attempted to suggest Raikkonen move aside. Raikkonen eventually let Vettel past, but only after telling the team to “just say it if you want me to do it”.
Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth, ahead of Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon, and Marcus Ericsson.
Carlos Sainz crossed the line 10th, but was given a 10 second penalty for overtaking under the safety car, dropping him back to P12.
Brendon Hartley picked up the final points paying position, with Kevin Magnussen finishing P11.
Stoffel Vandoorne, Pierre Gasly, and Leclerc were the final finishers.
Daniel Ricciardo, who started from the back of the grid after an engine change, came to a stop at the side of the track just 29 laps into the race. He managed to park his Red Bull near a gap in the track, meaning his car could be cleared under double waved yellows.
Both Williams and Fernando Alonso also retired with mechanical problems.
