09/09/2012
NEWS STORY
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As all and sundry trip over themselves to sing the praises of Monza's unique history, and in particular its legendary banking, the Pitpass editor cannot help but allow himself a wry smile.
Back in 1998 at the height of his campaign to have the banking preserved, rather than allowing it to break apart (which is happening), only one team gave its support, Tyrell. Indeed, even though the campaign was apolitical, one team boss (David Richards at Benetton) said his team preferred to "sit on the fence".
So, when we hear all the talk of history and passion, you'll forgive us if you hear the editor laughing in the background.
Oh and as for tradition and history, Ferrari would dearly love to take the Grand Prix from Monza to Mugello, the test at the Tuscan track earlier this year possibly a sign of things to come.
By the way, did you know that the editor has done two full laps of it - albeit with someone else driving?
Though the circuit has changed greatly since 1972 when he first visited it - the year in which chicanes were first added - the editor is the first to admit that it remains one which you treat with total respect. And with that in mind, as we contemplate the start of today's race, not only do we need no further reminder than last week's first corner melee in Spa, than the various comings together witnessed here in recent years, both at the first and second chicanes.
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza may have been emasculated beyond all recognition, compared to its glory days, however, it remains a super-fast challenge.
Just looking at the first few rows, not forgetting a very frustrated Fernando Alonso starting from tenth, sends a shiver down the spine.
The in-team battle for supremacy at McLaren could surely produce sparks, hopefully reminiscent of the great days of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Surely it is no coincidence that Lewis Hamilton has always idolised the Brazilian while the Frenchman is Button's hero.
Then there's Felipe Massa who has the chance not only of turning the season on its head but keeping his seat. If that isn't motivation enough for the little Brazilian we don't know what is.
Michael Schumacher is promoted to fourth on the grid courtesy of Paul di Resta's (gearbox) grid penalty, and if a win for Massa would be popular the same must surely apply to the seven-time champ and former Ferrari star, especially if rumours of his impending (second) retirement are true.
Having been on the back foot all weekend, Red Bull, other than looking forward to the more favourable tracks coming up, will be looking to damage limitation today, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber both seeking to maintain the gap to Alonso.
Nico Rosberg is Mercedes second driver in the top seven, and while the German loves it here (who doesn't?), the reliability of the silver arrow is a concern.
On the back of last weekend's success, it was back to earth with a big bump for Force India, di Resta taking the grid penalty and Nico Hulkenberg suffering a fuel pressure issue in Q1 which puts him at the back of the grid. Nonetheless, it will be worth watching the two Silverstone cars this afternoon, especially the charged up Scotsman.
Lotus hasn't really been 'on it' this weekend, a feeling that appears to have permeated right through to Kimi Raikkonen. Something just doesn't feel right about the Enstone squad this weekend, and we don't simply mean the exclusion of Romain Grosjean.
Kamui Kobayashi did well to qualify ninth, while Perez should also figure this afternoon, the Mexican keen to make up for last week's disappointment.
Despite the two grid penalties for Pastor Maldonado, which put him twenty-third, Williams is looking good, Bruno Senna putting the second Grove can on fourteenth.
Elsewhere, Mat Coch points out that today's race marks the fiftieth for both Caterham and Marussia, the longest any team has gone in the sport with out scoring a single point. HRT, also pointless - no pun intended - is contesting its forty eighth race.
As for Fernando Alonso, what we thought was poor strategy turned out to be a problem with the rear anti-roll bar. Whatever, the fact is that the Spaniard starts from tenth, with Kobayashi, Raikkonen and the rest ahead and Webber and friends behind.
Nonetheless, fired up by the partisan crowd, not to mention the frustration of yesterday, and last weekend, the world championship leader is going to be worth watching. Isn't he always… especially this season.
As F1 prepares to bid adieu to Europe there is so very much to play for, not only in terms of the titles but who goes where in 2013 (and beyond). For some this really is the Last Chance Saloon.
While many drivers have yet to secure seats for 2013, what better opportunity for Jerome d'Ambrosio to put himself on the map, the Belgian getting his big chance with Lotus courtesy of Grosjean's silliness last week.
Many admits that strategy is going to be an issue here today. While many are expecting a one-stopper, some are expecting two, a situation not helped by the fact that the entry to the Parabolica is catching out a number of drivers this year. While degradation is low, Pirelli admits that the characteristics of the Parabolica are causing unusually high front-right tyre wear. That said, Ross Brawn, other than tyre temperatures, believes that wear at the rear will be the issue.
Speaking ahead of the race, McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh claims that the race is his team's to lose. Sure Massa and friends will have something to say about that. He admits that he hopes his drivers have worked out what they'll be doing at the first corner - shades of Senna/Prost, Hakkinen/Coulthard.
As in 2011, there are two DRS zones here today, one from the second Lesmo leading to Ascari and the other on the main straight.
Speaking to Italian TV last night, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo suggested that, in an attempt to win over younger fans, races should be reduced in length. Assuming today's race goes without any major problems it will last around 76 minutes.
As the field prepares to head off on the parade lap, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 40 degrees, similar to qualifying yesterday.
As they prepare to head off the drivers are warned that at the start they are not allowed to cross the white line that runs down the right-hand side of the track at the start… Charlie Whiting will be watching. Just as he was watching Kobayashi's Sauber last week.
All but Perez, d'Ambrosio, Maldonado and Hulkenberg are starting on the harder rubber.
Hamilton leads the field away, all the drivers working their tyres and brakes as hard as possible. At time the noise of the engines is almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd, such is the anticipation.
They're away and great starts from Hamilton and Massa, the Ferrari driver almost passing the McLaren at the first chicane. No problems.
Button comes back at Hamilton at the second chicane but the Brazilian is having none of it.
At the end of lap 1, it's: Hamilton, Massa, Button, Schumacher, Vettel, Raikkonen, Alonso, Kobayashi, di Resta and Senna.
Alonso passes Raikkonen on the run to the first chicane, the Spaniard quickest in S1. Webber has dropped to fourteenth.
As Vettel closes in on Schumacher, Alonso closes on the pair of them. D'Ambrosio running in fifteenth.
Out front Hamilton sets a blistering pace, after three laps he heads Massa by 1.4s having posted a new fastest lap (1:30.429).
DRS enabled, Vettel makes use of it to pass Schumacher into the first chicane. Teammate Rosberg, who has fallen back to eleventh, is urged to pass the cars ahead, told that they are on a "one stop strategy".
Replay of the start shows that Webber and Perez touched. It wouldn't be F1 without a bit of argy-bargy.
As Hamilton extends his lead to 2.2s, Schumacher frustrates Alonso, the German taking no prisoners. The look on the faces of the crew in the Mercedes garage however says it all.
Alonso passes Schumacher on the main straight on the beginning of lap 7, as Hamilton posts another fastest lap (30.249).
Di Resta force Senna wide at the second chicane, the Brazilian causing problems for Webber as he rejoins the track.
After 9 laps, Hamilton leads Massa by 3.1s. Elsewhere, Vergne goes airborne over the kerbs at the first chicane after some sort of failure heading down the straight. Asked if he is OK, the Frenchman replies that his back hurts.
Button is 2s behind Massa with Vettel hot on his heels and Alonso a further 2s down the road.
Webber makes surprisingly short work of di Resta at Ascari, moving the Red Bull driver up to tenth. Raikkonen is all over the back of Schumacher whose rear end is sliding about alarmingly.
Schumacher is told to start pushing, his team want "three qualy laps". He is currently 1.9s down on Alonso and under pressure from Raikkonen and Perez. Teammate Rosberg is still thirteenth.
After 13 laps, Massa is losing ground to Alonso and falling into the clutches of Button who is 1.5s clear of Vettel.
Button is told that his pace is "strong, very good". Elsewhere, as Webber runs wide, Hulkenberg passes d'Ambrosio for fifteenth.
Rosberg pits at the end of lap 14, switching to hards he rejoins in nineteenth. Maldonado also pits.
Next time around it is Schumacher who stops, the German, who has also switched to hards, rejoins in fifteenth ahead of Kovalainen.
"Tyres are good, everything's good, and we're running to Plan A," Button is told.
Now in clear air, Raikkonen ups his pace, the Finn having been passed by Perez in a very cheeky, nay audacious, move. At the end of the lap the Finn pits, as does Kovalainen, switching to the harder rubber.
Massa has no telemetry from his car, his crew effectively working in the dark. The Brazilian is subsequently passed by Button on the run to the second chicane, a McLaren 1-2 at Monza. In a few brief moments the Brazilian's race appears to have fallen apart.
At the end of the lap, as Schumacher passes d'Ambrosio, Massa pits, rejoining in eleventh. Advised that Massa has pitted, Button is told to "go for it".
Maldonado switches to mediums and immediately goes fastest (29.653), at which point Vettel, Alonso and Kobayashi pit. The Ferrari is almost released into the path of the Red Bull.
As Hamilton enjoys a 6.4s lead, Button and Perez, now third, post PBs. Elsewhere, Webber and di Resta pit.
No sooner has Massa passed Ricciardo for seventh than the Toro Rosso driver attempts to retake the position. He fails and almost has Vettel up his gearbox. Moments later the German is through.
Button pits at the end of lap 22, however he loses time with a problem with his front-right. Next time around it is teammate Hamilton who stops. The Englishman rejoining in second behind Perez who has yet to stop, but ahead of Button.
Ricciardo passes Senna with ease the Australian subsequently pitting, along with Senna.
After 24 laps, Perez, who has yet to stop, is leading, ahead of Hamilton, Button, Massa, Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Raikkonen and Ricciardo.
As Button posts a new fastest lap (29.306), Alonso makes a charge on Vettel at the first chicane, however, the Red Bull driver shuts the door. On the approach to the second chicane there's a repeat of last year, only this time around its the Ferrari running on to the grass.
"OK, I think that's enough," the Spaniard tells his crew, adamant he was forced off track. "OK, we see what happened," is the response. Elsewhere, d'Ambrosio goes cross country.
Hulkenberg finally pits at the end of lap 27, Perez, is now lapping almost a second slower than Hamilton. Nonetheless, the Mexican is told that the £target is extended, target extended, three more". Which clearly means the run to his stop.
At the start of lap 29, on the run to the first chicane, Hamilton passes Perez with ease while Alonso passes Vettel at the second.
Perez pits at the end of lap 29, the Sauber rejoining in eighth.
The stewards are to investigate the earlier Alonso/Vettel clash.
After 29 laps, and with all having stopped, Hamilton leads Button by 7.2s with Massa third ahead of Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Perez, Rosberg and Webber.
Vettel is handed a drive-through for the earlier incident, effectively destroying the German's race and possibly his title hopes. It goes from bad to worse for Red Bull.
As Glock pits, Button suddenly slows on the back straight leading to the Parabolica. The crowd cheers as the silver car pulls to the track and Massa moves into second and Alonso third.
"No drive, no drive from the engine at all," says Button. "Fuel pick up problem,"
At the end of lap 34, Vettel serves his drive-through, rejoining in ninth behind his Red Bull teammate.
In the wake of Button's demise these will be worrying times for Hamilton and the team.
Maldonado makes his second stop at the end of lap 35, sticking with the medium rubber.
Having been passed by Perez once before, Raikkonen is not going to be caught out so easily this time. Though the Mexican passes him, at the same chicane, the Finn re-takes the position
"Think about how you're going to manage your tyres, Fernando behind in third position" Massa is told. Those wouldn't be team orders would they? Surely not.
As Schumacher pits at the end of lap 37, Perez posts a new fastest lap (28.663).
Finally nailed by Perez, Raikkonen is now in the mother of all battles with Rosberg. The German nailing the Lotus in the second chicane. That said, he subsequently pits.
Perez is on a charge, posting another fastest lap (28.128) he is closing the gap to Alonso who is running right behind his Ferrari teammate.
You can almost see him winking behind his visor as Alonso passes Massa going into the first chicane at the start of lap 40. Perez is now just 6.5s behind… and closing.
It's: Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Perez, Raikkonen, Vettel, Webber, di Resta, Kobayashi and Schumacher after 40 laps.
Ricciardo is eleventh, ahead of Rosberg, Senna, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, d'Ambrosio, Petrov, Kovalainen, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa and Karthikeyan. Vergne and Button the only retirements.
With Perez just 4.2s behind, Massa is told that he needs to pick up the pace.
On board with Perez and Massa is in clear sight, the Mexican closing in remorselessly. Indeed, in no time at all he's 0.8s behind the Brazilian.
Webber is informed that Vettel has a problem, thought to be alternator. Under pressure from di Resta, the Australian is currently 1.8s behind the world champion.
Perez takes Massa with ease on the run to the Parabolica. He now sets off after Alonso who is just 2.3s up the road. Elsewhere, Schumacher passes Kobayashi to take ninth.
Another fastest lap for Perez (27.705) on lap 44, the Mexican now 1.2s down on the world championship leader.
3.1s down on Kobayashi, Rosberg posts a new fastest lap (27.595).
Perez takes second with alarming ease into Parabolica. Then again, 15 points is as good as 18 for Alonso. Points, as we know, make prizes.
"Perez is a second a lap quicker than us," Hamilton is told. "Let's try and up our pace by a couple of tenths please." The gap is now 10.5s with 5 laps remaining.
It's game over for Vettel, the German having parked his car on the approach to the first corner. "Stop the car, we have the same problem as P3," the German had been told, "stop the car!"
Elsewhere, Schumacher passes Webber to take sixth, compounding Red Bull's misery. The German is now setting off after Raikkonen 5.6s up the road. Rosberg, challenging di Resta for eighth, passes the Scot at the second chicane.
As Vettel walks down the pitlane Webber gets it all wrong coming out of Ascari, the Australian lucky not to collect the barriers. He is able to continue with no ill affects, unlike Hulkenberg who has retired.
In the Red Bull garage, as Helmut Marko talks to Vettel, Webber has visibly slowed, his race clearly at an end. "Massive flat spots," he tells his crew.
As Hamilton begins his final lap, 5.8s clear of Perez, Schumacher is 1.3s behind fifth placed Raikkonen. We can be sure of a grandstand finish from the Finn and the German.
Hamilton takes the flag, with Perez second ahead of Alonso and Massa. Too little, too late means that Schumacher s unable to challenge Raikkonen while Rosberg takes seventh ahead of di Resta, Kobayashi and Senna.
Maldonado is eleventh, ahead of Ricciardo, d'Ambrosio, Kovalainen, Petrov, Pic, Glock, de la Rosa, Karthikeyan, Webber and Hulkenberg.
Not the most enthralling of races, but surely worth 79 minutes of most sports' fans time.
The win moves Hamilton into second in the title fight, 37 points behind Alonso. Raikkonen is 39 pints down on the Spaniard, but, more importantly, Vettel, Webber and Button have all failed to score. Indeed, the first three here today were all eliminated in last weekend's race.
With three straight wins, McLaren closes to within 29 points of Red Bull, while Ferrari also closes the gap.
Now it's on to Singapore… as the championship really begins to hot up after two races, at tow of our greatest tracks, has really turned everything on its head.
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