Celebrations go on as local hero Rosberg zooms to first German GP victory

It’s an amazing feeling to win at home. It’s a very special day,’ said Rosberg. Rosberg came home a comfortable 20.7 seconds ahead of the Finn at the end of an enthralling 67-laps contest. Hamilton was only 1.8 seconds behind Bottas ahead of defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and Daniel Ricciardo, in the second Red Bull.

Rosberg’s win came after a week in which he had married his long-term girlfriend Vivian Sibold, signed an extended contract with Mercedes and celebrated Germany's World Cup victory. It was his fourth win of the season and the seventh of his career.

But even such joyful supremacy was overshadowed in an incident-filled race by the bold passing pace of Hamilton, who started at the rear of the grid following his high speed crash in qualifying. The Englishman delivered a thrilling series of dramatic moves muscling his way through the field, but in the end was unable to grab second in the closing laps as Bottas hung on to register an historic podium for the resurgent Williams team. 

‘I had great fun. I did as good as I could. It was hard to get through the pack safely... it was hard to overtake so I’m glad to get some points today,’ said Hamilton. On one passing move Hamilton’s car clipped the McLaren belonging to Jenson Button. ‘I had a little bit of a collision with Jenson. I thought he was going to open the door which he has done a couple of times lately but that was my bad judgement,’ he said.

Another German, Nico Hulkenberg of Force India finished seventh ahead of Jenson Button and his McLaren team-mate, Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez who finished 10th in the second Force India.