Alonso wins dramatic European GP

McLaren’s Fernando Alonso won the European grand prix in Germany this afternoon after dramatically overtaking Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in the rain with just four laps to go. Mark Webber came in third, giving Red Bull their second ever podium position.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton ended up without points after an excursion into the gravel during a chaotic wet start of the race relegated him to the back. It was the first time that the Briton had not been on the podium in his 10 F1 races so far and the first time this season that McLaren did not have both cars in the points.

Kimi Raikkonen suffered a suspected hydraulics failure and was forced to retire when in third.He now slips to fourth in the drivers' championship.

The result means Alonso remains second in the drivers’ championship but has now cut Hamilton’s lead from 12 to just two. Massa is third.

McLaren lead Ferrari in the constructors table by 27 points. The race started in dry conditions but forecasters had predicted it would start getting wet within a few minutes and they were right. Raikkonen kept his lead at the start, Massa just managed to pass Alonso for second but the best start was by Hamilton who jumped from 10th to fourth by the first few corners. The two BMWs collided, lost positions but stayed in the race. But it had started raining by now and cars were going all over the place and most dashed to the pits to change tyres.

Raikkonen stayed out for a lap longer but, incredibly, it was Marcus Winkelhock, on his first F1 drive, with Spyker, who led the race in the rain after setting a fastest lap on lap two.

After the change of tyres Massa was first followed by Alonso but several drivers skidded into the gravel in quick succession including Button (Honda), Hamilton, Fisichella (Renault), Sutil (Spyker), Rosberg (Williams) and Liuzzi (Toro Rosso) having apparently tried intermediate tyres. Amid chaotic scenes the safety car was deployed. Hamilton, meanwhile, was helped out of the gravel and rejoined the race. As the rain got heavier the race was red flagged on lap four. The race was suspended and the cars went back to the grid for a restart.

As the rain lifted Winkelhock led the restart followed by Massa, Alonso and Red Bull drivers Webber and Coulthard – the latter having been on P20 at the original start!. They were followed by Kovalainen (Renault), and Raikkonen. Kubica (BMW) was 11th and his team-mate Heidfeld on P15. Hamilton was last and a lap down. But was able to recover that under safety car conditions at the restart. He then went into the pits and changed to dry tyres before the restart, the only one to take the risk. Button Sutil, Rosberg, Speed (Toro Rosso) and Liuzzi did not return.

The race restarted under sunshine but Met officers warned the rain was likely to return. Nearly all the drivers opted for intermdiate tyres but Winkelhock was on full wets. The safety car did two formation laps before the restart. At the restart Massa and Alonso quickly got past Winkelhock but Alonso was unable to overtake the Ferrari. Raikkonen was in battle with fellow Finn Kovalainen (Renault) for fifth and managed to get past within two laps but the rookie managed to regain his place and the battle resumed. The Red Bulls were also battling among themselves in third and fourth while at the back Hamilton was struggling to stay on the track and was again a lap down. By lap 11 he took an excursion into the gravel but he was fastest in sector three, which was dry.

Raikkonen led a procession of cars to change to the dry tyres, as well as refuelling while Hamilton now set the fastest lap so far in the race and started carving up the grid.

Leaders Massa and Alonso came in together and emerged in that order. Raikkonen moved to third. Winkelhock retired on lap 15 when his engine expired, but he had no doubt enjoyed the glory of leading.

Massa and Raikkonen were now exchanging fastest laps, the latter fast closing in on the possibly heavier Alonso. But at the back Hamilton set comparable laps. Kovalainen made a spectacular overtaking move on Wurz (Williams) to move to fourth.

An angry Ralf Schumacher retired on lap 20 after contact with the BMW of Nick Heidfeld which was overtaking him. Sato (Super Aguri) retired a lap later. Hamilton in last position, was the fastest man on the track but well behind the closest car, Trulli’s Toyota.

The race settled down now, although Massa built a bigger lead on Alonso, with 6.3 seconds on lap 29 and gaining.

Hamilton overtook the recently refuelled Fisichella on lap 34.

Raikkonen meanwhile slowed down, picked up speed, then slowed down again and tried to limp into the pits but failed to make it and retired on lap 36 with a suspected hydraulics problem. It would seem that bad luck strikes him whenever Michael Schumacher attends the races!)

Hamilton dashed into the pits and rejoined, back in last. Red Bull’s Mark Webber was now in third followed by the Williams of Alexander Wurz. Hamilton overtook Trulli while Alonso went into the pits to refuel – which had been unexpected since it was thought that Massa was lighter. Massa went in a lap later on lap 38 and kept his lead, seven seconds ahead of Alonso. Hamilton, no longer lapped, passed Barrichello for tenth on lap 42 while Webber went into the pits and rejoined in fourth, behind team-mate David Coulthard but the veteran Briton later lost his position when he went into the pits. Webber was in third.

Hamilton, meanwhile slowed to let Massa pass again . A wheel cover from Fisichella’s Renault came off and was later almost hit by Massa and the just lapped Hamilton. Alonso was now clawing back some distance from Massa, cutting to gap to five seconds while, with 10 laps to go, the rain appeared about to make its own restart. Television showed Michael Schumacher studying the clouds. The temperature also dropped sharply.

Heikki Kovalainen, in fifth place, gambled by putting on intermediates while it was still dry. But their forecasters were right and as the rain returned the cars went back to the pits for wet tyres. Former team-mates Alonso and Fisichella almost touched in the pit lane.

Massa and Alonso remained first and second respectively and the Spaniard now pushed Massa hard but the Brazilian just managed to hold position. Alonso tried again, they went side by side, but again Massa held on in the chicanes.

But a determined Alonso tried yet again and at last muscled his way past, the two cars touching gently in the most thrilling moment of the race, four laps from the end.

Hamilton tried staying out late, but eventually was also forced to put on the wets and stayed out of the points in 10th place and well away from Kovailainen, who had suffered by changing tyres too early and slipped to eighth. Fisichella was between them in ninth. The Briton did pass Fisichella but was unable to make it to eighth and therefore missed winning at least one point.

Webber, meanwhile stayed in third and the Australian was eyeing Red Bull’s second podium, the first having been with David Coulthard in Monaco last year. Alonso quickly built up a five second advantage on Massa in the difficult conditions which saw parts of the track very wet and others dry.

He went on to take the top spot on the podium with a disappointed Massa in second and jubilant Webber in third.

Alexander Wurz came fourth in his Williams followed by the second Red Bull of David Coulthard. Then came the BMWs of Heidfeld and Kubica and Kovalainen took the last point.

Michael Schumacher handed the constructors' trophy to McLaren boss Ron Dennis during the podium ceremony.