McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen takes full advantage of his pole position to lead into the first corner at Hockenheim

Michael Schumacher holds second while Fernando Alonso (left) leaps down the inside of Jenson Button into fifth

Raikkonen starts to pull away from Schumacher, but a poor 15-second pit stop on lap 10 drops him down the field

The Ferraris of Schumacher and Felipe Massa are roaring away, opening up a 20-second lead over Mark Webber

And with 26 laps completed Alonso is languishing in eighth - his 17-point world championship lead is not looking so big now

Button is fighting hard for a podium finish and overtakes Webber to move into third place with a dozen laps remaining

But the British driver's hopes are dashed by Raikkonen who finds a way past a couple of laps later to take third

Nobody can come close to Ferrari's domination though and Schumacher takes the chequered flag ahead of Massa

It is Schumacher's third win on the spin, his fourth at Hockenheim, and his 89th career victory

Alonso manages to finish fifth but he has much to think about as his lead in the standings is slashed to 11 points

Schumacher now knows that victories in each of the last six races of the season will see him crowned world champion