Indeed, de la Rosa’s French Grand Prix was ruined by a poor start and getting stuck in traffic, but in clear air, the Spaniard showed his pace, proving the quickest of the Michelin drivers, including his team-mate Raikkonen. With that in mind, he is confident ahead of Germany.
"It was great to be back racing in France, and I am really looking forward to getting back out there again in Germany this weekend. The car felt quick, and hopefully we will demonstrate that a bit better at Mercedes-Benz's home race. I last drove at Hockenheim in 2002, so I have been on the revised layout.”
Ferrari – Michael Schumacher (#5), Felipe Massa (#6):
Homing in on Alonso and with it the chance of an eighth world title, Schumacher is readily salivating at the chance to close the gap on his rival with his army of fans watching in the stands.
Indeed, he admits his home race is the ideal opportunity to score another psychological victory over the Spaniard having already beaten him on his team’s home territory in France.
Still, Hockenheim has, interestingly, not been an immensely happy hunting ground for Schumacher, winning there three times in 13 attempts - a far cry from the record-breaking eight Magny-Cours wins he completed at the last race.
"It has finally come around. For every German driver, the home race provides extra motivation. The psychological effect of driving here is huge," he said. "I always receive great support from our fans at Hockenheim and this lasts for the entire weekend. All the drivers enjoy competing in such conditions.”
Indeed, Schumacher is in little doubt that Hockenheim is an exceptionally important race for his title challenge and having seen his comeback at Imola and Nurburgring immediately halted by Alonso, he is hoping that Hockenheim will not see the Spaniard restore his advantage.
