1988 German Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Germany
Grand Prix = German
Official name =

---

Race_No = 9
Season_No = 16
Location = Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, West Germany
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 4.223
Course_km = 6.797
Distance_laps = 44
Distance_mi = 185.832
Distance_km = 299.068
Weather = Wet and cool
Pole_Driver = Ayrton Senna
Pole_Team = McLaren-Honda
Pole_Time = 1:44.596
Pole_Country = Brazil
Fast_Driver = Alessandro Nannini
Fast_Team = Benetton-Ford
Fast_Time = 2:03.032
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Italy
First_Driver = Ayrton Senna
First_Team = McLaren-Honda
First_Country = Brazil
Second_Driver = Alain Prost
Second_Team = McLaren-Honda
Second_Country = France
Third_Driver = Gerhard Berger
Third_Team = Ferrari
Third_Country = AustriaThe 1988 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 24, 1988 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim. It was the ninth race of the 1988 Formula One season.

Race summary

The grid was composed again of a front row of two McLarens, then Michele Alboreto on Ferrari, the two Marches and Gerhard Berger's second Ferrari. Qualifying had been severely hindered by violent thunderstorms which struck the area throughout the weekend.

The rain continued until Sunday monrning, when it finally stopped, but there was concern on which type of tyre would have been the most suitable for the race; in the end, everyone started on wet tyres, with the exception of Nelson Piquet. Ayrton Senna led off the start line from Berger and Alessandro Nannini. Piquet suffered a first-lap retirement, aquaplaning off the track at the Ostkurve due to his slick tyres. Alain Prost fought back from a bad start where he dropped to 4th to recover to 2nd behind Senna, but failed to catch him: traffic problems and many spins meant the gap increased lap by lap.

On lap 9, Senna forced Philippe Alliot off at the Sudkurve chicane. Alliot had changed to slicks to exploit the developing dry line and would have been in a promising position had the track continued to dry. They maintained the positions until the chequered flag, the sixth 1-2 of the year for McLaren.

Nannini had been in 3rd and then 4th place consistently until he had to pit on lap 38 to repair the broken throttle bracket of his Benetton. He rejoined 4 laps down and despite finishing only 18th, he set the fastest lap of the race.

Ferrari finished in 3rd and 4th place with concerns for fuel consumption, whilst Ivan Capelli, with a broken clutch for 30 laps, took 5th place. Thierry Boutsen gained a point for 6th place, in a car set up for the dry.

Nigel Mansell retired from 7th with a spin after a broken bolt had jammed his gearbox. Bernd Schneider earned his first Grand Prix finish in 12th in his home race.

Classification

References

* "Unless otherwise indicated, all race results are taken from cite web |title=The Official Formula 1 website |url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1988/271/ |accessdate=2007-07-12

F1 race report
Name_of_race = German Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1988
Previous_race_in_season = 1988 British Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1988 Hungarian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1987 German Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1989 German Grand Prix