Amit Mandalia‏: I really enjoy the anticipation of a race start, especially at those tracks which have so much history and tradition (yes, even the neutered Hockenheimring).

Us too Amit!

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

As a driver, you want to get into your car late, because it gets very hot in there - it's 26C. It's hot and sweaty. You get strapped in so you can't move and it's quite claustrophobic.

Lots of drivers have their routines and rhythms, and I was one of them - I always used to get into my car from the left. It never felt right doing it from the right.

I love this bit of the day. Everyone's quiet while you hear one voice singing the national anthem. The tension is palpable.

Not going to lie. I've seen better trophies.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "Ferrari are pushing. This is the ultimate challenge for us, so we need to stay calm.

"It's a sport and emotions play a vital role. You can be emotional, but not be stressed out.

"Lewis [Hamilton] is going to make his way to the front and hopefully be in a position to get on to the podium. The best situation is to win. This is motorsport, so we will see.

"Valtteri [Bottas] is going out with maximum attack to try to win the race."

He is down in 14th, but you just always expect Lewis Hamilton to pull something special out of the bag.

It was only two weeks ago when he got clipped by Kimi Raikkonen on the opening lap at Silverstone, dropped to 18th and finished second.

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Jeremiah Kariuki: That dilemma for Hamilton. To attack at start and get hit at start. Or to play safe and to overtake later. Tough one. But expect #Hammertime, external from the lights.

Rod Peel‏: If it rains will this play into Lewis’ hands? Looking forward to a great race.

Will this be the last Formula 1 race at Hockenheim? Let's hope not. No contract remember for 2019. This is the track where all the action will be happening today.

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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Right, strategy. One-stop looks favourable - starting on the ultra-softs and then switching to the mediums after about 17 laps, despite the blistering all teams encountered in their long runs on Friday. But a two-stop is also possible, going ultra-medium-ultra.

Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton may try something different from the back, as might the people starting just outside the top 10, such as Fernando Alonso’s McLaren. And the weather may throw a curve ball. There is the threat of storms from mid-way through the race, which would certainly liven things up.

A 20-point lead for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel on pole position and Kimi Raikkonen third. The Italian team and their passionate supporters will be expecting a wider gap to Mercedes in just over two hours' time.

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Daniel Ricciardo, speaking to BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: "I was trying to get a good wave going during the drivers' parade. We may have started something with the Mexican wave. We were trying to have a bit of fun.

"This is impressive. I really feel sorry for everyone if we don't come back [to Hockenheim], because everyone's been great. I'm a long way back, but we're going to have some fun. Hopefully we've got a half-decent race car and can charge through. We'll try not to make too many friends today."

Image source, Getty Images

Ferrari: 1 Sebastian Vettel, 3 Kimi Raikkonen

Mercedes: 2. Valtteri Bottas, 14. Lewis Hamilton

Red Bull: 4. Max Verstappen, 19. Daniel Ricciardo

Haas: 5. Kevin Magnussen, 6. Romain Grosjean

Renault: 7. Nico Hulkenberg, 8. Carlos Sainz

Sauber: 9. Charles Leclerc, 13. Marcus Ericsson

Force India: 10. Sergio Perez, 15. Esteban Ocon

McLaren: 11. Fernando Alonso, 18. Stoffel Vandoorne

Williams: 12: Sergey Sirotkin, 17. Lance Stroll

Toro Rosso: 16. Brendon Hartley, 20. Pierre Gasly

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Stoffel Vandoorne has been struggling these last two races, dropping from his usual 0.3secs or so off McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso to nearly a second, and he qualified slowest of all on Saturday.

This is the result of an aerodynamic problem with the car which McLaren cannot yet identify but is costing downforce. Alonso defended Vandoorne on Saturday afternoon, and at the same time took the opportunity to have a pop at Kimi Raikkonen, and by extension Sebastian Vettel. Alonso joked - not inaccurately, mind - that Vandoorne would "always be a little bit behind" because "it's difficult to beat me!” But he pointed out: “If you see previous team-mates, they were a lot further [behind] than Stoffel.

"In 2014 it was 0.6-0.7secs to Kimi every race. It's less than that now.” Actually, Alonso’s stats are not quite right - in 2014, when he and Raikkonen were Ferrari team-mates, he out-qualified the Finn 16 times in 19 races at an average of just over 0.5secs a lap. But that is almost double what Vettel’s advantage over Raikkonen has been.

Image source, epa

Jack Nicholls
Radio 5 live sports extra Formula 1 commentator

The weather is changing. There has been talk of thunderstorms. Ian Fergusson from BBC Weather says there has been thunder two miles away, and from our commentary box, we can see that. The cloud cover is coming over the bottom right of the circuit, so we'll have to wait and see. I think Lewis Hamilton, if it starts to rain, will think: "I'm in this one."

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Those clouds are looking menacing...

Ash Wilkinson‏: Prediction: completely dry race with a downpour 10 minutes after the chequered flag. Is it me or do we just not have as many wet races as we used to?

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Fernando Alonso put the McLaren 11th, his and its best qualifying position since Monaco. And as he has been fighting for points in most races despite qualifying an average of 13th recently, could be on for a strong race, especially as he is the first of the runners with free tyre choice for the start. “It was good,” he said. “Overall, the position is great. P11 is like a small pole for the midfield group.

"You can choose whatever tyre, new tyres as well and we saw some blisters on some of the other teams on long runs. We have the possibility to get some points. We start in the optimum position so let’s capitalise.”

After qualifying, he created some headlines by answering a question on his feelings on the proposals for tyre rules in 2021 by saying: “I will not be here in 2021, so I don't care. [I’ll be] on the sofa watching. Tour de France, all these things, not F1.”

It might sound self-evident, since Alonso will turn 40 in July of 2021, but after seeing the stories it created, he took to social media later to say that the “cut and paste” writers had not “been there and heard the ironic tone and laughter it prompted”.

Image source, Getty Images

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Lewis Hamilton is good at coming back. He's got to forget about that tough day yesterday. There are good points up for grabs - maybe a podium. He came from the back at Silverstone to get second, so we might see some wheel-to-wheel racing with Sebastian Vettel today.

Our top two on the track took the chance to have a chat before things get serious.

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