Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes won the German Grand Prix before home fans on Sunday while team-mate Lewis Hamilton charged from 20th on the grid to clinch a brilliant podium finish.
It was Germany-born Rosberg’s fourth win of the season and his first win or podium finish at a home race to extend his lead in the Formula One drivers’ standings to 14 points over Hamilton.
Valtteri Bottas in a Williams captured second place after holding off a late challenge by Hamilton, who was nursing a heavily grained left-front tyre and did not risk an attack.
Rosberg’s victory capped a week of celebration in which he got married, signed a new deal and watched his country win the World Cup.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling to win at home. It’s a very special day.”
It’s an amazing feeling to win at home. It’s a very special day.
“I had great fun,” Hamilton said. “I did as good as I could. It was hard to get through the pack safely and I had a little bit of a collision with Jenson (Button).
Rosberg was in command from pole position, but it was action-packed further down the field in a race which began with a first-lap collision between McLaren’s Kevin Magnusson and Felipe Massa in a Williams.
Massa’s car span and flipped over but the Brazilian emerged unharmed but ruing a first-lap crash for the third time this season and the second race in a row.
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in a Red Bull was fourth, ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Huelkenberg in a Force India, McLaren duo Button and Magnussen, and Sergio Perez in a Force India.
Rosberg moves to 190 points in the drivers’ standings after 11 of 19 races, with Hamilton on 176, followed by Ricciardo on 106, Alonso (97), Bottas (91) and Vettel (82).
