German Grand Prix 2012 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Fernando Alonso secured a masterful victory at the German Grand Prix, leading from pole position to extend his championship lead with a commanding performance that showcased both his driving brilliance and Ferrari's improved competitiveness at Hockenheim. The Spaniard controlled the race from start to finish, holding off a resurgent Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen to claim his third victory of the season and establish a 34-point championship advantage heading into the summer break.

Alonso's pole lap had been exceptional, extracting maximum performance from the Ferrari F2012 which had received important upgrades at Hockenheim. The Spaniard converted that qualifying advantage into a perfect start, immediately establishing a gap over the chasing pack. His race management was exemplary, controlling the pace to preserve his tires while maintaining enough speed to prevent any challengers from mounting an attack. The victory demonstrated Alonso's complete mastery of the 2012 challenge - maximizing every opportunity and rarely making mistakes despite driving a car that remained inferior to the Red Bull and, on many circuits, the McLaren.

Button drove an excellent race to finish second for McLaren, recovering from a difficult start to the weekend and demonstrating the MP4-27's underlying pace when reliability didn't intervene. Raikkonen secured third place for Lotus with another consistent points-scoring performance. Sebastian Vettel could only manage fifth after a difficult weekend, losing ground to Alonso in the championship battle. The German Grand Prix marked the halfway point of the season with Alonso firmly in control of the title race, having built his lead through consistency and brilliance despite Ferrari's competitive disadvantage. His 34-point advantage appeared commanding, but Red Bull's development trajectory suggested the championship battle was far from over.