Preview: The German Grand Prix

After the action-packed blockbuster that was the British Grand Prix, the F1 circus moves on to Germany, returning to Hockenheim for the first time in two years. Will Mercedes grab an important victory on home soil, or can Ferrari spoil another Silver Arrows party?

Flashback

The last German Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton take victory ahead of both Red Bull's of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen with teammate and championship rival Nico Rosberg finishing a disappointing fourth at his home grand prix.

Slow away from the line, the German was quickly swamped by the chasing pack and was down to fourth by turn one. His fightback took another hit after an ambitious overtake on Verstappen netted him a five-second time penalty for forcing the Dutchman off of the track.

His Mercedes team didn't help him however and kept him in the pits for three seconds longer than required, costing him valuable time. It meant that Hamilton was left to his own devices out front and won comfortably in the end.

What to expect?

Not many teams know just yet! New McLaren sporting director Gil de Ferran expects that the lack of data relevant to these cars will mean a busy Friday practice for all of the teams and drivers as they look to strategise and gather the essential data for the weekend ahead. As to who's car the circuit suits best, it remains a very fine margin between Mercedes and Ferrari, with the Scuderia maybe just having the edge on their rivals.

Mercedes were supposed to walk all over their competition at Silverstone however, they didn't have it their own way whatsoever, with Lewis Hamilton actually losing ground to his championship rival at a race many thought he would dominate at.

Could we see an announcement by Mercedes at their home grand prix that Hamilton has extended his contract with the team? Possibly if the rumours are to be believed. But what the team need most here is a win, and should they not achieve one then the ball is well and truly in the court of Ferrari as we head towards the summer break.

Predictions

After a torrid tripleheader, Mercedes will be gunning for the race victory not only with determination and desire but possibly with desperation also. The team and Hamilton both need a race victory and a strong result as the championship battle with Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel continues to grow increasingly tense.

Should Mercedes have their start procedure figured out, something that Toto Wolff demanded in the immediate aftermath of Silverstone, then they may well control things at the front. But, as has been the case on several occasions this season, when the pressure is on Mercedes the most, they can be drawn into making big mistakes. Should the pace at the front be close, Ferrari might just keep their cool and turn a difficult battle into an easy victory.

1. Sebastian Vettel (FER)

2. Kimi Raikkonen (FER)

3. Lewis Hamilton (MER)

4. Valtteri Bottas (MER)

5. Daniel Ricciardo (RBR)