Michael Schumacher closed the world championship gap to just eleven points by inflicting another crushing defeat on his rivals, this time on home soil at Hockenheim.
With
Felipe Massa the only driver to be able to live with the seven-time world champion's pace,
Ferrari eased to its second 1-2 in three races, putting Schumacher firmly back in the hunt for another crown, now lying just over a win behind a lacklustre
Fernando Alonso. Once
Kimi Raikkonen's under-fuelled McLaren peeled off on lap ten, Ferrari had the race in the bag, with the real interest being on who would join Schumacher and Massa on the podium.
Going to the grid, there was the suggestion that
McLaren's 'aggressive strategy' had actually been forced upon the Woking team by a faulty fuel rig, which delivered less than expected in the final phase of qualifying and allowed Raikkonen to set his stunning pole time. The downside, however, would be that the Finn would have to lap at a similar pace throughout his opening stint if he was to make starting ahead of the Ferraris count for anything.
Raikkonen made the necessary getaway and easily led Schumacher and Massa into turn one, with the real action taking place in their wake, as
Jenson Button and
Rubens Barrichello finding their Hondas being passed by the two Renaults, Button falling two places to the blue machines.
Although turn one did not provide its traditional first lap incident, the crowd did not have to wait long, as the field decided to come together at the 'new' hairpin. While Button wasted no time in regaining one place from Alonso with a clean move into the tight right-hander,
Ralf Schumacher and
David Coulthard came together, the impact launching the Scot momentarily into the air. There was also contact between the two
BMW Saubers, resulting in both having to pit at the end of the lap, Jacques Villeneuve with a damaged wing and
Nick Heidfeld with a rear puncture.
