The third and final practice session on Saturday morning was effectively washed out as few chose to even set a lap time in the wet conditions.
But Hamilton did suit up and get out on track despite a back issue that left him less than 100 per cent, just to back up Mercedes’ assertion that he would be fine for qualifying.
Charles Leclerc of Sauber technically set the fastest lap in the morning but Red Bull had topped the two sessions on Friday, giving Max Verstappen hope of a surprise pole.
But his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo might not even bother setting a time – he has taken engine penalties that mean he will start at the back of the grid on Sunday.
German Grand Prix Q1 results
Daniel Ricciardo headed out knowing whatever time he set was largely irrelevant as he would be relegated to the back of the grid by his engine penalties and instead just used the session to run around on the same set of ultra-softs, building up more information for the race.
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A dire weekend for McLaren showed little sign of abating when Vandoorne complained of gearbox problems but the team were at least able to fix that and give him half a chance of reaching Q2.
The biggest casualty of the session was not in the bottom five as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes got stuck in fourth gear and he could not even limp back to the pits. The Brit even tried pushing his car but was eventually steered off the track and forced to retire from qualifying. With Ricciardo moving all the way down the grid, Hamilton will at best start 14th.
Eliminated: 16th Esteban Ocon (Force India), 17th Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso), 18th Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso), 19th Lance Stroll (Williams), 20th Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren).
German Grand Prix Q2 results
A dramatic qualifying session continued as Marcus Ericsson ran wide in his Sauber and brought a substantial amount of gravel back onto the racing line as he returned to the track.
The session was red-flagged with seven minutes left meaning that when green-flag racing resumed, it really only gave drivers one or perhaps two chances to dial in a fast lap.
However, with neither Hamilton or Ricciardo setting a time, only three drivers would really be eliminated in Q2 and Charles Leclerc was the man who seized the opportunity as he put his Sauber into Q3 for the third time in four races.
11th Fernando Alonso (McLaren), 12th Sergey Sirotkin (Williams), 13th Marcus Ericsson (Sauber), 14th Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 15th Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull).
German Grand Prix Q3 results
With Hamilton out, Vettel was desperate to capitalise but it was Kimi Raikkonen who set the fastest lap as the chequered flag began to wave.
Valtteri Bottas looked to have pipped his fellow Finn, finding time in the final sector having been well down on Raikkonen.
But Vettel, at his home Grand Prix, produced a new track record at the Hockenheimring to take pole and hammer home the advantage.
1st Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), 2nd Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), 3rd Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), 4th Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 5th Kevin Magnussen (Haas), 6th Romain Grosjean (Haas), 7th Nico Hulkenberg (Renault), 8th Carlos Sainz (Renault), 9th Charles Leclerc (Sauber), 10th Sergio Perez (Force India).