22 July in Ferrari history: Fernando Alonso’s German Grand Prix victory

On 22 July 2012, Fernando Alonso won the German Grand Prix for Ferrari at Hockenheim. His third victory of the season strengthened his championship position during a campaign in which consistent results were particularly valuable.

Alonso converts pole into another Ferrari win

Starting from pole position, Alonso retained the lead at the start and managed the challenge from the cars behind. He completed the 67-lap race to add Germany to his earlier victories in Malaysia and Europe.

The result took him to 154 championship points, giving him a 34-point advantage over Mark Webber. Hockenheim therefore delivered both a race victory and a stronger position at the top of the standings.

Why the official podium differs from the finish

Sebastian Vettel crossed the line second but received a 20-second penalty for passing Jenson Button off the track. The decision dropped Vettel to fifth.

Button consequently became the official runner-up, with Kimi Räikkönen promoted to third. Alonso’s victory was unaffected, but the revised order matters when recalling the race’s final result.

Explore more championship statistics in our Formula 1 records section, or browse other victories in the Ferrari On This Day calendar.