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2016 German GP: 5 race-defining moments

Cape Town - Following the 2016 German GP, Formula 1 teams and drivers depart for the sport's much-deserved August break.

The German GP, held at Hockenheim, delivered many thrills and allowed Lewis Hamilton to tighten his grip on the 2016 title race.

Hamilton's team mate and title rival Nico Rosberg set the pace throughout the weekend but ultimately missed a podium spot, losing positions to the Red Bull duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

READ: As it happened – 2016 German GP

Reigning world champion Hamilton took full advantage of a poor start by Rosberg, who also received a five second pit-stop penalty for aggressive overatking, to deliver a flawless drive.

Hamilton's team engineer said over the radio: "Get in there, Lewis! Great work, mate, a beautiful start and fantastically managed."

5 standout moments from Hockenheim:

1 Hamilton drops the hammer in Germany

Though the race was Rosberg’s home GP, a poor start led to the German veteran dropping to fourth place by the time the grid reached turn two on the first lap. Hamilton, on the other hand, had a great start, leading from the front and delivering a near-faultless race.

READ: Hamilton basking in his German GP victory

Following the German GP, Hamilton has won six of the first twelve races in 2016, with team mate Rosberg taking five and Verstappen a single race victory.

2 Red Bull surpasses Ferrari

Even if you're a die-hard Ferrari fan, it's hard to ignore race statistics - Red Bull is the second-best team of 2016. After a tumultuous 2015, in which relations with its engine partner Renault nearly fell apart, Red Bull vastly improved and is determined to chase Mercedes.

Ferrari, on the other hand, started the year in a great position but its decline in performance eventually saw the iconic team drop in the Drivers' championship.

With the departure of technical head James Allison and more heads expected to roll, Ferrari is expected to endure a tough second half of the season. 

READ: Ferrari will put up a fight again - Vettel

Driver Sebastian Vettel did say the team knows where to improve and that the summer break will be used to great effect. Only time will tell…

3 Red Bull scores a double podium

Ricciardo and Verstappen scored Red Bull’s first double podium since the 2015 Hungarian GP. Though the pair had different strategies they managed to stay ahead of Rosberg to grab second and third place. Red Bull underlined its second-best-team credentials by comprehensively out-performing Ferrari on a day the Scuderia would much rather forget.

Ferrari finished in fifth and sixth place, with Vettel leading team mate Kimi Raikkonen across the line.

4 Schumacher-name to return to F1?

Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick, attended the race at Hockenheim causing many pundits to speculate when the young driver would make a move to F1. The young German has been linked with a move to F1 in recent months but any hopes of seeing that happen as early as 2017 were squashed by his manager. Schumacher’s next career move is to join F3 and perhaps thereafter look into joining F1.

READ: Mick Schumacher's next step is F3, not F1 - manager

If Schumacher is to join F1 in future he’ll have some big shoes to fill and an even larger legacy to live up to.

5 Rosberg needs composure

Rosberg was perhaps under a lot of self-inflicted pressure at the start of the German GP as he threw away his prime starting position on the first lap. In his attempt to claw back positions, Rosberg attempted to pass Verstappen and in the process pushed the 18-year-old rookie off the track. The incident saw Rosberg handed a five-second penalty and with it his hopes of finishing on the podium. 

With Hamilton expected to take one or two engine penalties in the final nine races, Rosberg can capitalise on his team mate’s misfortune and make up ground in the title race. 

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