HOCKENHEIM, Germany, July 20, 2008 (AFP) - British pilot Lewis Hamilton was on course to give his McLaren team their first victory in the German Formula One Grand Prix in 10 years here on Sunday as he had a huge lead at the halfway stage of the 67 lap race.

The 23-year-old English tyro, who has admitted he always has a bout of the butterflies before he races, led Ferrari´s Felipe Massa by over 11 seconds while the latter´s stablemate Kimi Raikkonen - who like the leader and Massa is on 48 points in the overall standings - had failed to make an impact and was down in fifth place.

Hamilton had surged ahead from the off and had opened up a nine second lead over Massa after 11 of the 67 laps while the Briton´s McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen was in third spot and Pole ace Robert Kubica in fourth.

The English driver pitted for the first time on the 18th lap - as did Kubica - and exited in fourth place behind new race leader Jarno Trulli.

However, Hamilton was back in front a lap later as Trulli went into the pits and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who had earlier been given a slice of chocolate cake by Renault boss Flavio Briatore as he will celebrate his birthday on July 29 which comes before the next race, also went in for a pit stop.

And if Massa hoped to make some inroads into Hamilton´s lead he was to prove mistaken while defending world champion Raikkonen was having a miserable race.

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