Football fever sweeps the F1® paddock

Football fever has swept through the Formula One paddock in recent weeks with many drivers and team members making a special effort to watch their teams in action during the FIFA World Cup.

Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel were amongst the German contingent who enjoyed their national team’s victory over Romain Grosjean's France in the quarter finals on the Silverstone race weekend, whilst Williams’ Felipe Massa was delighted to see Brazil triumph over Colombia at the same stage of the competition.

However, a few days later, and just hours after he’d set the fastest time on the first day of the post-race test in Great Britain, Massa’s beloved seleção were dismantled 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals.

“[It] was mega fun,” tweeted a delighted Rosberg afterwards, “but feel sorry for all Brazilians!”

Sebastian Vettel was similarly pleased: “Honestly I am very proud of how they played,” he said on the second day of the Silverstone test. “The result was obviously more dominant than everyone expected, but the final will be tight. I hope we win - it is a great chance.”

The organisers of the upcoming Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2014 at Hockenheim are offering fans a chance to benefit from the German team’s success.

During the World Cup, fans are being given a discount on weekend tickets of 11 euros for every goal that Germany scores in regulation or extra-time. So, after the German team’s monumental 7-1 scoreline against Brazil in the semi-final, fans received a discount of 77 euros per ticket!

Germany play Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday evening and you can be sure that Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel will be tuning in.