Tweet from @tonyfernandes: Its our birthday. One year ago we got letter from fia to start lotus racing. What a year. Manybirthday presents today. Hope we finish with 2
Tweet from @tabathavalls: #F1 cars all out going to the start/finish line... Not long now! These moments are always so exciting!
The Virgin crew get ready.
Comment from RG: Re FBFB, is it there 2nd birthday now too? See I thought it was their 500th GP not that long ago...
Having their birthday cake and eating it, eh?
Interview with Nico Hulkenberg: "Before the weekend I didn't believe we were that competitive, but very positive qualifying yesterday and hopefully we can convert it into race result. I feel more and more comfortable and confident in the car and in the team."
Interview with Rubens Barrichello: "We've seen in GP2/3, I think we need to look after the tyres for the first few laps. There'll be a bit of overtaking, I guess."
Someone from Kasabian says this is "like Glastonbury on wheels."
Tweet from @MikeGascoyne: Koybayashi back in the garage, 2.5mins to get out
Interview with Massa: "Overtaking is not impossible for the speed of the straights, so let's try our best."
Interview with Button: "You can say I've got more dirty air than the other cars but I've also got more downforce to lose. I don't know what's going to happen."
The poll for race winner is closed - Button just pips Alonso with 14 votes to 13. Massa and Webber get one each, while 7 people believe it will be someone else.
Kamui is still in his garage, and as the pitlane is now closed he will have to start the race from the pitlane. Depending on what the problem is, of course.
25°C
Track | 35°C |
Humidity | 44% |
Wind Speed | 2.9mps |
Local Timezone | +0200 GMT |
First Race | 1950 |
Total Grand Prix | 59 |
Number of Laps | 53 |
Circuit Length | 5.793km |
Race Distance | 306.720km |
Massa gets in the zone. Wonder if he will make his grid slot this time.
The cars are off on their formation lap.
The mechanics are all running off the grid. Run, run, run. There's not enough running in F1, I say.
Kamui in the garage - it's reported to be a gearbox problem. Will he get out at all?
Race started.
Button has passed Alonso into the lead.
Accident between Hamilton and Massa. Lewis' front right tyre was broken and he ran off into the gravel.
The Red Bull drivers had another shocking start - Vettel down to 7th, Webber down to 9th.
Seconds before the collision.
Sutil has pitted.
Kobayashi did make it out of the garage and started the race, but has already retired.
1 | Button | McLaren |
2 | Alonso | Ferrari |
3 | Massa | Ferrari |
4 | Rosberg | Mercedes |
5 | Kubica | Renault |
Seconds after the collision.
Fastest lap for Alonso - 1:27.282.
Team radio to Felipe Massa: "Rosberg is fourth and you're pulling away very quickly for them. You need to stay with Fernando and Button, just to see if they make a mistake anywhere."
Webber passes Schumacher for 8th position.
Michael doesn't give it up easily, and they run side by side, but Webber keeps the position.
Comment from Scott Woodwiss: JB does look like he's getting a better exit out of the corners thanks to the extra downforce.
Tweet from @VirginRacing: Kov past Lucas :-(
Awww.
Keeping the helmet on.
Team radio to Mark Webber: "Look after these tyres, Mark, it's going to be a longish stint."
Pos | Driver | Time |
---|---|---|
1st | Button | -- |
2nd | Alonso | +0.5 |
3rd | Massa | +1.5 |
There's a bit of a gap building with Rosberg in 4th leading a train of cars backwards. Or, as RG has coined, the Rosberg Roadworks.
Tweet from @clubforce: Adrian is now closing in on Senna and the pack of cars ahead of him. Tonio looking good in P13.
Sutil has now passed Senna, and it's believed he won't need to stop again - he's bolted on the hard tyres for the rest of the race.
Liuzzi has also passed De la Rosa now for 12th place. So... disregard that last tweet. Eh-hem.
Senna has stopped, pulled over to the side of the track - coming out of the second Lesmo.
A new fastest lap from Button - Fastest lap for #.1:26.695
Webber is closing up on Vettel for 7th now. I bet the Red Bull pit wall are pretty nervous right about now.
Kobayashi walks back to the garage.
Tweet from @EliGP: Webber engineer calculating how many cans of Red Bull they have to sell to collect $100,000
Alguersuari pits and returns to the track. Blink and you'll miss it.
De la Rosa pits.
Glock | vs. | Kovalainen |
18th | +0.6s | 19th |
Rosberg has pulled out a bit of a gap, meaning the hold up is now with Kubica in 5th.
Alguersuari given a drive through penalty for missing a chicane and gaining a place.
Team radio to Rosberg: "Come on Nico, four critical laps."
Expect a pit stop soon!
Tweet from @autosportlive: Massa fluffs the first chicane, taking to the run-off. He's fallen a 2.7 seconds behind team-mate Alonso.
Team radio from Vettel: "Problem with the engine. Seems like it's dying. The engine is dying on me."
Webber has got past his teammate already. Vettel lost about two seconds on his last lap.
Alguersuari has taken his drive through penalty now, rejoins in 19th place behind Kovalainen.
Yamamoto has pitted from last place.
Alonso has lost a little bit of time on Button as the pair of them navigate some backmarkers. They're still nice and close though.
Replays show Hulkenberg cutting the chicane, he didn't gain or lose anything, but Webber is now a little further behind him.
Team radio to Button: "Only one more backmarker to pit, you're doing a great job."
Looks like all the cars are cleared now, they're likely to pit before reaching Sutil in 15th.
Vettel is still going, his engine appears to be holding firm for now. The team orders speculation is rife already.
On 5live, Karun Chandhok does not believe it was team orders, as Vettel sounded a bit too panicked over the radio.
Tweet from @EliGP: An ambulance will enter the pitlane to assist an Hispania mechanic, apparently
Comment from Alex Andronov: Martin didn't think it was orders either for the same reason. Eddie loves all of the conspiracy though
Tweet from @tonyfernandes: i think car went over a pit guest. but guest looks like hes moving so heres hoping all alright.
In the best possible hands.
The pit lane was closed while the ambulance was there, but Race Control confirm it is now clear.
Fastest lap from Massa - 1:25.670. Chandhok says Rob must have had a word.
News on the HRT incident: The radio mechanic was changing some settings on Yamamoto's car, and the car moved away with him still there. The mechanics was conscious and moving.
Comment from Alex Andronov: The soft tyres are lasting for ever, despite the very hot weather, Will Vettel's engine last, when he's going so fast? And Schumacher's not looking clever
I'd forgotten our poetry challenge. Any more for any more?
Tweet from @edb_lotusracing: I was timing the HRT stop & I've just seen the radio guy get run over. I so hope he's ok, it was a horrible thing to see.
Really slow stop for Kubica, trouble on the front tyres. He returns to the track in 9th place.
Strong running from Force India at the moment:
Sector 1 | Liuzzi | 337kph |
Sector 2 | Sutil | 335kph |
Sector 3 | Liuzzi | 312kph |
Speed Trap | Webber | 345kph |
Interview with Hamilton: "I had a good start, I gained a position. In a realistic world I should have perhaps stayed there for a while. I tried to put my car up the inside and tried to get third at the second corner but it was too much and I lost position. Very disappointed in myself, sorry for the team. The championship battle is not over but mistakes like this and days like today, they're what loses you championships. I've only got myself to blame. You just have to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty."
Button pits, Alonso stays out.
Button has joined in third at the moment, out in front of Vettel.
Hulkenberg had a brilliant stop, and manages to just hold off Kubica and Webber - really close racing there.
Webber has passed Kubica, meanwhile Hulk cut a corner but remains in front.
Alonso pits and rejoins in the lead. Button has lost the lead to the Ferrari.
They are still incredibly close, but Alonso is holding position, even with a Yamamoto to pass.
Massa pits and rejoins in third.
It's good that the refuelling ban means there's no overtaking in the pit stops, huh?
Team radio from Button: "Just wondering why we chose to pit before them?"
Webber complains about Hulkenberg to his radio - outbraking himself, cutting corners, etc. They're going to let Charlie know.
Comment from Alex Andronov, with news from Ted Kravitz: TED says Ferrari very happy in the pits Luca Badoer is there apparently! And They say this was their plan to go one lap later than whatever Jenson did.
Team radio to Webber: "Hulkenberg will not let you through. Keep pushing."
Driver | Reason | Lap |
---|---|---|
Senna | Hydraulics | 12 |
Kobayashi | Gearbox | 1 |
Hamilton | Accident | 1 |
Webber sets a new fastest lap - 1:24.531.
Backmarker watch - Alguersuari, Sutil, Glock, Kovalainen are one lap down, Di Grassi, Trulli and Yamamoto are two laps down.
Comment from Steven Roy: Webber purple lap????????
Crofty and Karun on 5live are similarly gobsmacked at the sudden pace of the Red Bull, and why they have waited this long to release it!
Tweet from @alexjsnell: Is vettel ever going to pit? ;-) #F1
Trulli hops out of his car - a smoking Lotus. And I don't mean good looking.
Hulkenberg makes yet another mistake, and then cuts up Webber trying to correct his racing line. That looked decidedly dodgy.
Webber went to make a pass on the Williams but Trulli's yellow flags stopped him.
Now he has done it. Webber is 6th.
Webber finally gets past The Hulk. I think Mark may have a new nemesis.
Driver | Visits |
---|---|
Alguersuari | 2 |
Sutil | 2 |
And Vettel still hasn't come in. There are only two laps left. He'd better make the move soon.
I was hoping to bring you a live standings update, but Vettel was smack dab in the middle messing it all up.
He finally pits!
Fernando Alonso wins the Italian Grand Prix.
Button and Massa will join him on the podium. A good day for Ferrari.
I would usually do this a few laps from the end, but Vettel might have ruined that too.
1 | Alonso | Ferrari |
2 | Button | McLaren |
3 | Massa | Ferrari |
4 | Vettel | Red Bull |
5 | Rosberg | Mercedes |
Here are the live standings, which are less live and more actual. Shh.
Pos | Driver | Pts |
---|---|---|
1 | Webber | 187 |
2 | Hamilton | 182 |
3 | Alonso | 166 |
4 | Button | 165 |
5 | Vettel | 163 |
Alonso secured pole position, took the fastest lap and the chequered flag this weekend. He didn't lead every single lap though. You can't have everything.
Alonso makes his way to the podium.
Brilliant track invasion.
I've just noticed the live timing saying Di Grassi stopped on lap 50. I didn't see that happen. That makes it one retirement for each of the new teams this race.
Your Monza podium - Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa. With a bit of Stefano Domenicali thrown in for free. You're welcome.
That is the last European race for this season. The fancy motorhomes are gone, the cars will be shipped far overseas and it will by fly-away central until the end of the year.
Ferrari have done pretty much all they could this weekend to a) please the home fans and b) keep themselves in the championship fight.
Red Bull had some great strategy calls, making the best of what was a really terrible start for both drivers, and also what was a terrible Williams in front of Webber.
Rosberg did really well today, finishing solidly in fifth, with his teammate way back in 9th. A good double points finish for Mercedes.
The paddock will be moving on to Singapore, the night race, where time zones play a big part. Expect Alonso to do well (with a little help from his friends), and Red Bull will likely be back on form.
Thank you for joining me today, stay tuned to Sidepodcast for full results, standings and thoughts coming soon. See you next time!
All content in the series Italy 2010
Filed under Lap by lap coverage
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