The fight for the Formula 1 world championship is tight as the top five drivers stand separated by just 14 points. While Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen would want to cash in on one of Ferrari’s favourite hunting grounds, ‘Quick Nick’ Heidfeld would want to impress at home in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

Lewis Hamilton, F1’s latest sensation, would like to widen the gap at the top and Robert Kubica, too, would want to enter the big league. Battle lines have been drawn, the field and the men are ready for the extravaganza.

The German GP has been one of the most awaited races on the F1 calendar. After the shifting of the Grand Prix of Europe from Nurburgring to Valencia, the German event rotates between Hockenheimring and Nurburgring. The 4,574km circuit has a hair-pin bend, a 180-degree turn and some sharp left and right handers - and still the drivers average more than 200 km/h over the 67 laps of the race.

Ferrari’s 30 wins on this circuit, the most by any constructor, and Raikkonen’s lap record at the track give their mission a kick-start. This race is the first in the second half of the calendar and Kimi will need to have a podium finish to prevent Hamilton from running away from him.

Heidfeld, who will get undivided support from the crowd after Michael Schumacher’s retirement, would look to record maiden race victory and take his podium finishes to nine. BMW Sauber has evolved well and Heidfeld would pounce on any opportunity to break grounds on home turf.

Hamilton would want to leave behind the controversies with his former team-mate Fernando Alonso and shed the disappointment of narrowly missing out in 2007 to move another step towards this year’s championship. He is contracted with McLaren Mercedes until 2012 and would like to make full use of the excellent cars and the priority treatment he is being offered.