Rosberg bounces back as Hamilton suffers mechanical woes in FP2
Nico Rosberg managed to bounce back during the second practice session at the Autodromo di Monza, as preparations were ramped up ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. Although Lewis Hamilton managed to finish a close second, the Briton was struck with mechanical woes during the first half of the session. Kimi Raikkonen ended the session third for Ferrari.
Unlike the earlier session in the morning, the second practice session began with great gusto as many drivers immediately took to the Autodromo di Monza to continue with their preparations for the weekend ahead. Instead of completing the traditional installation laps, the likes of Romain Grosjean and Jules Bianchi immediately got down to business by immediately completing timed laps. The Lotus driver, who returned to driving duties after ceding his seat to Charles Pic for practice one, produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:32.995.
Almost immediately the times began to tumble, with the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen all rising to the top, whilst numerous drivers pushed beyond the limits and ran wide at the various chicanes. This included initial pace-setter Grosjean, who ran wide at turn four. Whilst Championship leader Nico Rosberg asserted his authority over proceedings with 01:27.500, the other Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton remained stuck in the garage with mechanical gremlins once again striking the team with the Briton’s car failing to start.
As the Mercedes mechanics began to dismantle Hamilton’s car in a bid to inspect the various internal components to try and discover the issue, team-mate Rosberg continued with his own preparations by improving on his benchmark with a 01:27.005. However, the German’s reign was short-lived as both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso momentarily rose to the top, before Rosberg managed to return to the sharp-end of the order with an even quicker 01:26.786. Further down the order Kamui Kobayashi ran wide at turn four in the Caterham, with the Japanese driver making his return to the sport after missing the Belgian Grand Prix.
Eventually the majority of the field elected for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which enabled the times to once again take a minor tumble, albeit with Rosberg still reigning supreme at the top with a 01:26.225 ahead of the Williams of Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile Adrian Sutil made a mistake at turn four and bounced precariously over the speed bums in the Sauber, as the German began his preparations for the weekend ahead of making way for Giedo van der Garde in practice one.
Whilst the Mercedes mechanics continued to strive frantically to rectify Hamilton’s car in a bid to get the Briton back out before the end of the session, the Lotus duo of Grosjean and Maldonado continued a woeful day of practice, with both running wide on numerous occasions. The Frenchman in particular ran extremely wide at turn six, which resulted in a brief excursion through the deep retaining gravel trap.
Meanwhile Hamilton finally left the confines of his garage after loosing roughly an hour of track time, after his mechanics managed to rectify the issue on his car. The Briton took to the Autodromo di Monza on the hard tyre compound, initially rising to 12th position with a 01:27.352. As the 2008 World Champion continued with his preparations ahead of the weekend, Grosjean in particular continued to struggle greatly, running wide at turn seven and then bumping precariously once again over the speed bumps at turn one.
Eventually Hamilton switched to Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, which enabled the Briton to rise up to second position with a 01:26.286, just behind his German team-mate and arch-rival. As the session entered its closing stages Alonso ran wide at turn one in the Ferrari, as did Button several minutes later in fine style after trying to gain as much of an advantage as possible in the slipstream behind Kvyat, with Sutil exiting the pit-lane on the right.
The checkered flag was soon unfurled to signal the end of the second practice session, with Nico Rosberg fastest ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who ran wide at turn one in the dying seconds, with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen a relatively surprising third. With the return of mechanical gremlins for Hamilton and Mercedes, the German marque will understandably be hoping that such issues do not return throughout the remainder of the weekend.
Image courtesy of Mercedes AMG Petronas
First blood to Hamilton after FP1 at Monza
Lewis Hamilton has begun his Italian Grand Prix weekend in fine form, topping the timing sheets for Mercedes ahead of former team-mate Jenson Button. The British duo were closely followed by the second Mercedes and Championship leader of Nico Rosberg.
The opening practice session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend began in overcast conditions and with a whole host of temporary driver changes. For the opening 30 minutes Sergio Perez would step aside of Dani Juncadella at Force India, whilst Giedo van der Garde once again stepped into the driving seat at Sauber in place of Adrian Sutil, Charles Pic replaced Romain Grosjean at Lotus and Formula Renault 3.5 ace Roberto Merhi made his Formula One debut at Caterham in place of the returning Kamui Kobayashi.
Eventually Marcus Ericsson became the first driver to take to the Autodromo di Monza once the session officially began, leading out a long line of drivers who seemed incredibly eager to get their respective weekends’ underway. Despite the instant flurry of track activity, only installation laps were initially completed, before Max Chilton finally produced a 01:33.435 in the Marussia, a time which the Briton soon improved on with a 01:32.546.
Soon the times began to tumble in traditional style, once more drivers elected to return to the track after completing their installation laps. Jean-Eric Vergne rose to the top for Toro Rosso with a 01:30.511, before Kevin Magnussen in the McLaren soon catapulted himself to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:28.256. The Danish rookie continued to improve as the session progressed, whilst the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo both momentarily suffered with DRS issues.
As the Spanish duo of Alonso and Juncadella ran wide at turn one, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button managed to rise ahead of his McLaren team-mate with a 01:27.158. However, normality at the sharp-end of the order was soon resumed, when the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton asserted their authority over proceedings, with the latter in particular producing a 01:27.064.
Whilst Pastor Maldonado proceeded to run wide at turns one and four in the uncompetitive Lotus, Magnussen suffered a rather unforeseen issue when his headrest began to detach itself from his car. The Danish rookie eventually managed to limp back to the pits for repairs, whilst McLaren team-mate Button returned to the top with a 01:26.810. Meanwhile Belgian Grand Prix winner Ricciardo’s session was brought to a premature conclusion after suffering from an engine failure in the Red Bull.
As the session drew to a conclusion, Championship contender Hamilton rose back to the top in the Mercedes with a 01:26.547, a time which the 2008 World Champion soon managed to improve on with a 01:26.187. Meanwhile several drivers began to push beyond the limit in their bid to continue preparing for the weekend ahead, with Merhi, Massa and Perez all running wide at turn one, with the latter bumping precariously over the speed bumps in the process after only just running wide and across the grass at turn eight.
Eventually the checkered flag was unfurled to signal the end of the session, with Lewis Hamilton fastest in the Mercedes ahead of former McLaren team-mate Jenson Button and current team-mate Nico Rosberg. The 22 drivers will return to the Autodromo di Monza later in the day to continue with their preparations during practice two.
Image courtesy of Mercedes AMG Petronas
Sebastian Vettel cruises to flawless Italian Grand Prix victory
Sebastian Vettel has cruised to a flawless victory at the Italian Grand Prix, after an utterly dominant display during the 53-lap race. The German ace was followed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with Mark Webber managing to finish 3rd in his last race around the legendary Autodromo di Monza.
Despite intermittent rain showers prior to the start of the Italian Grand Prix, the race began in dry weather conditions with the entire field electing to start on the dry weather tyres. Only three drivers started on the harder compound, in the form of Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Gutierrez. At the start Sebastian Vettel managed to retain his lead through the opening chicane, as Lewis Hamilton was one of many who skipped across the run-off area to avoid a collision.
As the opening lap of the race wore on Felipe Massa found himself in 2nd position behind Sebastian Vettel, with Mark Webber 3rd and Fernando Alonso 4th. At the second chicane Paul di Resta became the first retirement of the race, as the Scotsman completely out-broke himself and slammed into the rear of Romain Grosjean. Although the resulting incident didn’t damage Romain Grosjean’s car, Paul di Resta’s front-left was utterly destroyed as he pulled to the side of the track and into retirement.
After lightly damaging his front-wing during the opening chicane after a minor collision with Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen was forced to return to the pits after the opening lap for a new front-wing. This saw the Finn plummet back down the order, after a relatively competitive opening lap. Whilst Sebastian Vettel set upon opening up a considerable lead at the front, Fernando Alonso masterfully overtook Mark Webber around the outside at the second chicane. The Australian driver sustained minimal front-wing damage, however the duo continued circulating.
Due to his poor qualifying performance, Lewis Hamilton had elected to start the race on the hard tyre compound. Unfortunately for the former Italian Grand Prix winner his early race pace prevented him from fully excelling, as the McLaren of Jenson Button overtook him for 10th. The Ferraris swapped positions as the opening laps ensued, with Felipe Massa seemingly allowing his team-mate through into 2nd position on team orders.
By Lap 10, Sebastian Vettel had opened up a five second lead at the front to Fernando Alonso, however his mechanics soon came over the team radio instructing the German that his front-right tyre had picked up a flat-spot after the opening lap. Despite the initial worry from the team, the issue in question soon faded into insignificance as the German continued to romp away into the distance. Whilst Sebastian Vettel dominated once again at the front, Lewis Hamilton was struck with further bad luck in the form of a slow puncture on his Mercedes.
Despite the team’s insistent requests for the 2008 World Champion to pit for a new set of tyres, he was unable to fully understand them after radio communication issues also plagued his car. Eventually Lewis Hamilton pulled off into the pits, which saw the Briton also plummet down the order and behind Kimi Raikkonen to 19th position. As the 28-year-old began scything his way through the likes of Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic, Jean-Eric Vergne became the next retirement after the Frenchman’s Toro Rosso was struck with what appeared to be an engine-related issue.
By Lap 20 the first scheduled pit-stops of the race were carried out, as Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo made their way to the pit-lane. The Mexican driver suffered from a slow stop, and therefore lost a position to team-mate Jenson Button. Sebastian Vettel soon elected to pit from the lead of the race, as Red Bull stacked their drivers with Mark Webber also pitting albeit roughly 11 seconds down the road. This allowed Fernando Alonso to momentarily lead a Ferrari 1-2, a scene which was undoubtedly met with euphoria amongst the Tifosi faithful.
Felipe Massa, Nico Hulkenberg, Adrian Sutil and Pastor Maldonado became the next list of drivers to make their scheduled pit-stops, with Felipe Massa loosing out to Mark Webber when he rejoined the circuit. Although Fernando Alonso was leading the race ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, neither had pitted. The German soon released his fellow countryman into 2nd position when he elected to pit a few laps later, before Fernando Alonso finally did likewise on Lap 27 and allowed Sebastian Vettel to resume his dominant lead out in front.
Although the majority of the field were all on one-stop strategies, both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton unfortunately were not after their earlier altercations with punctures and front-wing damage. Kimi Raikkonen was the first of the duo to return to the pits on Lap 30, just as Lewis Hamilton managed to produce the fastest lap of the race. Whilst many awaited the Briton’s eventual pit-stop, Lewis Hamilton continued to display a blistering pace around the Autodromo di Monza. The 2008 World Champion managed to sneak passed Nico Hulkenberg for 5th at Turn 3, before the team once again began trying to communicate with him about his second and final pit-stop.
After many laps of expectation, Lewis Hamilton finally made his pit-stop on Lap 38, after previously making a mistake and running straight on at Turn 2. This saw him rejoin the race down in 14th position and behind Kimi Raikkonen, however the duo soon managed to begin once again scything their way through the midfield. Whilst Raikkonen and Hamilton steadily rose through the order after overtaking the likes of Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil, Mark Webber was instructed to short-shift on the exit of Turn 2 through the lower gears.
As the last few laps of the race panned out, Sebastian Vettel was issued with the same instruction, with the German instead told to short-shift through the higher gears. Whilst the Red Bull duo tried their best to adapt to the new gearing technique, Lewis Hamilton managed to overtake Kimi Raikkonen for 11th and then Sergio Perez for 10th to secure one hard-fought point, whereas the Finn could only manage 11th and his second non-points scoring result in succession.
Despite worried looks within the Red Bull camp amid fears of gearbox woes, Sebastian Vettel managed to storm to yet another dominant victory on Ferrari territory, with the Scuderia of Fernando Alonso a distant 2nd only just ahead of the short-shifting Mark Webber. Felipe Massa finished a relatively competitive 4th, with Nico Hulkenberg an important and impressive 5th.
The Formula 1 fraternity will reconvene later in the month, when the sport returns to Asia for the only night race of the year around the illuminated streets of Singapore. Sebastian Vettel has become renowned for stepping up a gear when the sport returns to the Far East, a trait he’ll be aiming to live up to next time out.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Italian Grand Prix Monza, Italy; 53 laps; 306.720km; Weather: Cloudy. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h18m33.352 2. Alonso Ferrari + 5.4 3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 6.3 4. Massa Ferrari + 9.3 5. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari + 10.3 6. Rosberg Mercedes + 10.9 7. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 32.3 8. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 33.1 9. Hamilton Mercedes + 33.5 10. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 38.3 11. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 38.6 12. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 39.7 13. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 40.8 14. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 49.0 15. Bottas Williams-Renault + 56.8 16. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap 17. Pic Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 1 lap 19. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 20. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap Fastest lap: Hamilton, 1:25.849 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 35 Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs storms to maiden GP2 victory in sprint race at Monza
British sensation Adrian Quaife-Hobbs has stormed to his maiden victory in the GP2 Series around the Autodromo di Monza, after a 21-lap sprint race which featured a minor rain shower. The 22-year-old was followed by initial poleman Alexander Rossi, who endured a poor start off of the line. Julian Leal came home an impressive 3rd for Racing Engineering.
As the field pulled away for the start of the formation lap, Jake Rosenzweig’s unfortunate weekend continued as the American driver stalled on the grid. He was eventually wheeled into the pit-lane, where he was forced to start the race as the field line-up for the start. When the five red lights went out Adrian Quaife-Hobbs majestically stormed into a commanding lead, as poleman Alexander Rossi stuttered and became swamped by the immediate competition. James Calado also stalled at the back, before eventually getting away, albeit plum last.
Unlike the earlier GP3 race, the GP2 drivers managed to negotiate the opening chicane relatively incident-free, as Stephane Richelmi forced Sam Bird wide at Turn 1 and in the process damaged his front-wing. This forced the Monegasque driver to return to the pits, as team-mate Marcus Ericsson was struck with a race-ruining rear puncture which also forced him to return to the pits. As the opening laps of the race ticked away Nathaniel Berthon unsportingly edged rookie team-mate Sergio Campana onto the grass and into a spin. Luckily the Italian driver was able to continue circulating, as Berthon was struck with a drive-thru penalty for his actions.
As the race progressed Daniel de Jong spun at Turn 1 and lightly tapped the barrier, however the Dutchman was able to continue racing. Meanwhile Sam Bird and Julian Leal were battling hard for 2nd position further up the field, with the duo amazingly avoiding contact despite their exceedingly close proximity on the track. On Lap 6 Daniel Abt was struck with a hefty stop/go penalty, after his ART Grand Prix machine failed to have all of the tyres secured to his car before the three minute signal at the start.
With Adrian Quaife-Hobbs still leading the race ahead of Julian Leal on Lap 8, further entertainment was thrown into the mix when rain began to fall over the Autodromo di Monza. This saw James Calado immediately pit for wet weather tyres, with the Briton anticipating a deluge and therefore an opportunity to rise back through the order. Despite only a few minutes of intermittent rainfall, James Calado’s gamble failed to pay off and the Briton was forced to return to the pits for slick tyres. During the short period of rainfall both Julian Leal and Sam Bird rain wide at Turn 1, allowing Alexander Rossi to redeem himself and rise into 2nd position at the second chicane.
As the American ace strove to catch race leader Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Jon Lancaster struggled to cleanly overtake Vittorio Ghirelli. The Briton clattered clumsily over the kerbs at Turn 1, and subsequently forced the duo into the retaining gravel trap. Despite Alexander Rossi’s late charge against Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, the Hilmer Motorsport driver managed to maintain his lead and cross the line to take his maiden GP2 victory. The duo were followed home by Julian Leal, who secured yet another podium finish.
The GP2 paddock will reconvene around the streets of Singapore next time out, for the penultimate race weekend of the season. Fabio Leimer heads to the street circuit leading the Drivers’ Championship, with an increased points advantage after securing the fastest lap of the race and a further two points.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Jack Harvey takes victory in frenetic GP3 race at Monza
Jack Harvey has taken his second victory in the GP3 Series, after yet another incredibly frenetic race around the legendary Autodromo di Monza in Italy. The British sensation assumed the lead at the start, after initial poleman Patric Niederhauser stalled. He was followed by race one winner Daniil Kvyat, with Lewis Williamson 3rd.
After causing the incident at the start of the opening race of the weekend, Marussia Manor Racing’s Dino Zamparelli was suspended from the second race. The GP3 field took to the grid in overcast weather conditions, with the threat of rain still looming in the distance. At the start poleman Patric Niederhauser stalled, throwing away his chances of victory as the field streamed around him. Unfortunately not all of the drivers managed to avoid the stricken Swiss ace, as team-mate and fellow countryman Alex Fontana slammed into the rear of his car. This saw Fontana’s front-left wheel fly violently into the air, luckily clattering into the adjacent catch-fencing.
Further down the road the usual freneticism ensued as the field negotiated the tight opening chicane, as Ryan Cullen slammed into the rear of David Fumanelli before also collecting Giovanni Venturini. Although Fumanelli was able to limp back to the pits for a new rear-wing, the other drivers involved in the opening corner’s shenanigans were all forced into retirement. To allow the marshals to safely retrieve the stricken machines, the safety car was deployed for one lap.
As the safety car peeled into the pits, Jack Harvey stormed into the lead of the race ahead of Championship leader Facu Regalia. During the lap, numerous battles for position raged on up and down the pack, with Nick Yelloly and Jimmy Eriksson colliding at Turn 11 and spinning into retirement in the deep retaining gravel trap. The Swedish rookie had lost his rear-wing during the restart, and was therefore lacking grid throughout the final corner. By Lap 5 Lewis Williamson had perfected an overtaking maneuver on Facu Regalia for 2nd, and began reeling in his fellow countryman for the lead of the race.
With Jack Harvey and Lewis Williamson now engrossed in a battle for the lead, race one winner Daniil Kvyat began to catch Facu Regalia for 3rd. The Russian sensation perfected a maneuver for the position around the outside of Turn 4, demoting the Championship leader down a further position in his ART Grand Prix machine. Despite his competitive pace, Lewis Williamson soon found himself in the clutches of Daniil Kvyat, who wasted no time in perfecting an overtaking maneuver for 2nd position.
As the front runners jostled for the lead of the race, Adderly Fong collided with Samin Gomez and suffered a violent incident into retirement. The Canadian-born Hong Kong driver was forced wide by the Jenzer Motorsport driver, which subsequently saw him smash through the polystyrene bollards and fly over the kerbs at Turn 1. The Status Grand Prix driver eventually came to rest just after the opening chicane, with his car irreparably damaged.
Despite Adderly Fong and Samin Gomez’s incident at Turn 1, the race continued on without a safety car interruption. This enabled Jack Harvey to hold on and secure an illustrious victory for ART Grand Prix ahead of Daniil Kvyat, with Lewis Williamson a close 3rd. Further back Conor Daly managed to snatch the final points-paying position away from Carlos Sainz, after sweeping around the outside of the Spaniard at Turn 11.
The GP3 paddock will reconvene in early November for what should be a sensational season finale, around the iconic Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Facu Regalia will be striving to retain his lead in the Championship, with the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Conor Daly and Kevin Korjus hot on his heels.
Picture Copyright © Andrew Ferraro/GP3 Series Media Service
Daniil Kvyat storms to dominant victory in hectic GP3 race at Monza
Russian sensation Daniil Kvyat has stormed to a dominant lights-to-flag victory after a hectic and incident-filled opening GP3 race at Monza, eventually finishing ahead of Nick Yelloly in 2nd and Championship leader Facu Regalia in 3rd.
At the start a number of drivers initially struggled to get off of the line for the formation lap, with Kevin Korjus, David Fumanelli and Ryan Cullen all momentarily stalling before eventually joining the rest of the pack. The unusual action didn’t stop there, as Championship leader Facu Regalia half-spun on the exit of Turn 11 and Josh Webster unfortunately stalled just prior to lining up on the grid. Despite the stalled Status Grand Prix car in the background, the race began on time as Daniil Kvyat, Tio Ellinas and Robert Visoiu all jostled at the front into Turn 1.
Unlike the GP2 feature race earlier in the day, the GP3 drivers’ were unable to negotiate the opening chicane without incident. Marussia Manor Racing driver Dino Zamparelli was forced to cut the first corner, in doing so dangerously rejoining the circuit and T-boning his team-mate of Tio Ellinas. The ensuing melee saw Carlos Sainz tipped into a race-ruining spin, as well as Robert Visoiu and Conor Daly get caught up. The latter two drivers were eventually forced into retirement, with the American’s front-left tyre practically shredded after his collision. Championship contender Tio Ellinas was also forced into a frustrating retirement, in an incident started by his own team-mate.
Amazingly the safety car was not called upon after the opening lap’s incidences, with the Monza marshals managing to clear the stricken machines effectively to allow the race to continue. As the freneticism raged on throughout the pack, Carmen Jorda was struck with a drive-thru penalty for jumping the start. The carnage failed to stop after the opening lap, as Luis Sa Silva clattered into the rear of Aaro Vainio at Turn 1 and was forced into retirement, with the Finn luckily managing to continue circulating despite the severe impact to the rear of his machine.
Alex Fontana also retired during the early stages of the race, as the Jenzer Motorsport driver lost the rear of his car whilst negotiating Turn 11. This saw the 21-year-old slam into the retaining tyre barrier after skipping through the gravel trap, damaging the rear of his car beyond immediate repair. Whilst numerous altercations raged on throughout the race, Facu Regalia breezed passed Alexander Sims for 2nd position on Lap 4. The Briton continued to loose ground as the lap progressed, as fellow countryman Lewis Williamson found a way around him.
After enduring a frustrating spin at the start of the race during the melee at the opening chicane, Carlos Sainz began to claw his way through the field as the race progressed. By Lap 8, the Spaniard was up to 12th position after some quite masterful maneuvers which so nearly ended in collision. Patric Niederhauser managed to rise up into 8th position and the provisional reverse grid pole several laps later, with the Swiss ace keen to seek the advantage of pole for the second race on Sunday morning.
Whilst the pack jostled for position, Daniil Kvyat was in a class of his own at the front. The 19-year-old eventually stormed across the line a whole +5.3 seconds ahead of Nick Yelloly in 2nd, with Facu Regalia 3rd for ART Grand Prix to take his second consecutive victory in the GP3 Series. Patric Niederhauser will start tomorrow morning’s second race on the reverse grid pole, and will start alongside Britain’s Jack Harvey in what will surely be a thrilling addition to the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Fabio Leimer resists Sam Bird to win GP2 feature race at Monza
Fabio Leimer has managed to resist the tremendous pace of Sam Bird to win a highly entertaining GP2 feature race around the legendary Autodromo di Monza, after a frenetic 30-lap race. The duo were followed by the other Russian Time machine of Tom Dillmann, after both Stefano Coletti and Felipe Nasr retired from proceedings.
At the start Fabio Leimer stormed into a comfortable lead into Turn 1, despite starting 2nd on the grid alongside Sam Bird. Amazingly the entire field managed to negotiate the first few corners relatively incident-free, despite some drivers skipping across the grass to avoid major contact. After the opening lap reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans collided with the Rapax of Simon Trummer, which subsequently forced both into retirement and also forced the majority of the field to take avoiding action through the retaining gravel trap.
The two stricken cars were cleared without a safety car interruption, despite partially blocking the track during the immediate aftermath. Daniel Abt returned to the pits after the second lap, after picking up a puncture which could well have been caused after running through the gravel to avoid colliding with either Simon Trummer or Mitch Evans. As Sam Bird continued to hunt down Fabio Leimer in the lead, Jake Rosenzweig became the next retirement after a minor collision with Tom Dillmann which broke the American’s front-left suspension.
As the race raged on, Alexander Rossi and Sergio Campana became the first drivers’ to complete scheduled pit-stops, before Championship leader Stefano Coletti did likewise. However, the Monegasque sensation locked-up heavily on the entry to the pit-lane, which saw him mistakingly speed in the pits and therefore incur a drive-thru penalty. Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr became the next drivers to pit from the front of the pack, as Fabio Leimer continued to lead Sam Bird.
After exiting the pit-lane Felipe Nasr became locked in a grueling battle for 16th with Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, however the Brazilian ace managed to fend off the advancing Briton with some masterful defensive driving. Carlin’s Jolyon Palmer pitted a lap later, and seemingly enjoyed a decent pit-stop. However, during his first lap back on the track his left-rear tyre worked its way loose and fell off, forcing the Briton into an embarrassing retirement. Meanwhile Sergio Canamasas and Johnny Cecotto became locked in a battle for track position, with the two incident-prone drivers unreservedly colliding with each other through Turn 1. This subsequently saw the stewards elect to investigate the duo.
Whilst the marshals cleared the stricken Carlin of Jolyon Palmer and hunted down his rogue wheel, race leader Fabio Leimer pitted on Lap 12 thus allowing Sam Bird to assume the lead of the race. Several laps later Marcus Ericsson became the next retirement for DAMS, after a left-rear puncture struck his car and forced him to pull over at the side of the track. After Stefano Coletti’s uncompetitive display during the race, Felipe Nasr looked set to reap the rewards and potentially leapfrog the Monegasque ace in the Championship. However, a mechanical issue on his car saw him grind to a halt at Turn 1 and into retirement.
On Lap 19 Sam Bird stormed into the pits for his scheduled pit-stop, ceding the lead of the race to team-mate Tom Dillmann. Despite a frustratingly slow stop, the Briton rejoined only just behind Fabio Leimer on the softer rubber. As Tom Dillmann also pitted and handed the lead to Stephane Richelmi, the battle for the eventual lead of the race raged on between Fabio Leimer and Sam Bird. On Lap 23 Richelmi finally became the last driver to make his mandatory pit-stop, allowing Fabio Leimer to return to the lead with Sam Bird quick on his heels.
With Felipe Nasr now out of the race, it seemed Stefano Coletti’s immediate Championship threat had disappeared. However, disaster struck the Rapax driver as he was forced into retirement on Lap 24. This then switched the emphasis on the Championship to Fabio Leimer and Sam Bird, who sat 3rd and 4th respectively in the Drivers’ Championship.
Although Sam Bird managed to close the gap to Fabio Leimer to under a second, the Briton was unable to thwart to Swiss master, who stormed across the line to secure his 5th victory in the Series and the lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Tom Dillmann managed to follow the leading duo home in 3rd, with American sensation Alexander Rossi securing the reverse grid pole in 8th. He will start tomorrow’s sprint race alongside Adrian Quaife-Hobbs on the front row of the grid.
Picture Copyright © Charles Coates/GP2 Series Media Service
Sebastian Vettel storms to sensational pole amid Ferrari dismay at Monza
Sebastian Vettel has stormed to his 40th pole position in sensational fashion at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, amid a dismal performance from Ferrari after the Scuderia strove to perfect their synchronized slipstreaming. The German will start tomorrow’s race alongside team-mate Mark Webber with Nico Hulkenberg 3rd.
In stark contrast to last time out at the Belgian Grand Prix, the all-important qualifying hour around the Autodromo di Monza began in glorious sunshine. As the opening segment of qualifying began, Esteban Gutierrez became the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was quickly followed out by the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg. Naturally Esteban Gutierrez managed to produce the initial benchmark with a 01:26.293, before the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg immediately obliterated the Mexican’s reign with a 01:25.276.
As the opening segment progressed, the times at the top continued to tumble as the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne and Fernando Alonso rose to the top with the latter producing a 01:24.938 for the Scuderia. However, the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne was quick to return to the top with a 01:24.630 as the Faenza-based outfit continued to impress on home soil. However, their reign was soon brought to a conclusion in the form of Lewis Hamilton and then Sebastian Vettel, with the latter rising to the top with a 01:24.319 behind the wheel of his RB9.
Whilst the familiar faces gradually rose to the top, the equally familiar faces were eventually eliminated from proceedings as the opening segment of qualifying drew to a conclusion. Former GP3 Champions Esteban Gutierrez and Valtteri Bottas were joined by Giedo van der Garde, Charles Pic, Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton at the back of the grid.
The second segment of qualifying saw Daniel Ricciardo become the first driver to take to the track and eventually produce the first timed lap, with the future Red Bull driver setting a 01:24.746. His initial benchmark was soon thwarted by the Ferrari duo of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, as they stormed through a cloud of dust kicked up by the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton who ran extensively wide at the final corner. This mistake from the 2008 World Champion saw him limp back to the pits for a new set of Pirelli tyres, before he returned to the track in a bid to progress out of the drop zone.
As the Mercedes ace struggled to produce a competitive lap time, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel flew back to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:23.977. Further down the order both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton were eliminated from proceedings, drawing to a conclusion a dismal display from the former Champions. Despite Hamilton’s mistake at the final corner several laps earlier, replays showed Adrian Sutil blocking the Briton on not one but two separate occasions. This led to a stewards investigation, yet failed to raise the mood within the Mercedes garage.
After the frenetic proceedings of the second segment of qualifying, both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton were joined by Romain Grosjean, Adrian Sutil, Pastor Maldonado and Paul di Resta, in what was considered an incredibly competitive midfield.
Without any further ado, the all-important top-ten shootout began with the remaining Mercedes of Nico Rosberg taking to the Autodromo di Monza first, as the Ferrari duo filed out onto the track in unison with intentions of mastering their now annual feat of synchronized slipstreaming. During his first timed lap, Nico Rosberg could only manage a dismal 01:28.332, which was instantly thwarted by the Red Bull of Mark Webber with a 01:23.990. Despite the competitive lap time from the Australian driver, team-mate Sebastian Vettel eased to the top with a 01:23.859, practically cementing his position at the top.
In traditional top ten shootout fashion the majority of the drivers’ returned to the pits for new tyres, before then returning to the track for the final set of all-important timed laps. Mark Webber produced the fastest middle sector on his final lap, but lost copious amounts of time in the final sector as Jean-Eric Vergne ran extensively wide at the final corner and kicked up a huge plume of dust into the oncoming drivers’ faces. Sebastian Vettel, however, was undeterred as he improved once again with a 01:23.755 to secure his 40th career pole.
As the rest of the field completed their final laps Nico Hulkenberg amazed many by storming into 3rd position for Sauber, their best qualifying result since last season’s Japanese Grand Prix. The Ferrari duo were unable to perfect their synchronized slipstreaming, as Felipe Massa amazingly managed to out-qualify team-mate Fernando Alonso in 4th.
With the threat of rain lingering over tomorrow’s 53-lap race, Sebastian Vettel could well find his road to victory slightly trickier than expected. However, the German won his first ever race in extremely treacherous weather conditions at the same circuit in a Toro Rosso back in 2008, and will surely be confident whatever the weather come race day.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.755s 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m23.968s +0.213s 3. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.065s +0.310s 4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.132s +0.377s 5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.142s +0.387s 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m24.192s +0.437s 7. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.209s +0.454s 8. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.502s +0.747s 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.515s +0.760s 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.050s +4.295s Q2 cut-off time: 1m24.776s Gap ** 11. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m24.610s +0.633s 12. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.803s +0.826s 13. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m24.848s +0.871s 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m24.932s +0.955s 15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m25.011s +1.034s 16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m25.077s +1.100s Q1 cut-off time: 1m25.030s Gap * 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.226s +0.907s 18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m25.291s +0.972s 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m26.406s +2.087s 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m26.563s +2.244s 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.085s +2.766s 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.480s +3.161s
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Sebastian Vettel remains uncatchable in final practice at Monza
Sebastian Vettel has remained practically uncatchable after the third and final practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, after the German ace ended the session fastest overall ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. The second Red Bull of Mark Webber was 3rd fastest, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes.
Once again the Formula 1 paddock was greeted with glorious sunshine over the legendary Autodromo di Monza, as preparations for the all-important qualifying hour began in earnest with the third and final practice session. Max Chilton once again became the first driver to take to the track for Marussia, and was instantly followed out by his team-mate of Jules Bianchi and the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez. As ever the traditional installation laps were carried out up and down the paddock, with Red Bull ominously running copious amounts of flo-vis paint on both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel’s cars’.
Eventually the Caterham duo of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde produced the first timed laps of the session, with the latter setting a 01:28.728 to rise ahead of his French team-mate. The Caterhams’ reign was quickly thwarted as other drivers took to the Italian circuit, with the McLaren of Sergio Perez rising steadily to the top with a 01:26.489. Paul di Resta momentarily managed to dislodge the Mexican sensation with a 01:26.230, before Sergio Perez stormed back to the top for the Woking-based outfit.
As Esteban Gutierrez made a minor mistake at Turn 1 and Sergio Perez did likewise at Turn 4, Kimi Raikkonen silently rose to the top for Lotus after producing a 01:25.871. Whilst the Finn asserted his authority over proceedings, former Italian Grand Prix race winner Lewis Hamilton continued to struggle behind the wheel of his Mercedes, completely cutting the second chicane after out-braking himself once again. Meanwhile the times at the top continued to tumble as the session progressed, with Esteban Gutierrez, Jean-Eric Vergne and then Kimi Raikkonen rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:25.514.
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel soon rose to the top for Red Bull, producing a 01:25.265 behind the wheel of his Renault-powered machine. The German ace continued to improve at the top, as Mark Webber slotted into 2nd position once again creating a Red Bull 1-2 at the top. Fernando Alonso soon managed to split the Milton Keynes-based duo with a 01:25.151 to go 2nd fastest, as Paul di Resta’s session was brought to a premature conclusion as the Scotsman ran straight on at the tricky Parabolica corner at lightly tapped the retaining barrier. As the stricken Force India was cleared, his team-mate of Adrian Sutil spun at Turn 8 and managed to continue.
As the final practice session progressed, Sebastian Vettel continued dominantly improving at the top, with the German eventually working his way down to a 01:24.511, as Jean-Eric Vergne’s tough morning continued as the Frenchman ran wide at Turns 8 and 9, skipping through the gravel trap. With only 15 minutes left in the session the track fell eerily silent, as all of the drivers returned to the pits to make minor alterations to their cars’ and opt for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound. During this momentary lull the McLaren mechanics elected to change Sergio Perez’s left rear suspension, before Jules Bianchi and Charles Pic became the first two drivers to return to the track with the medium tyre compound.
Despite the softer rubber, no-one was able to dislodge the Championship leader. Sebastian Vettel once again managed to improve on numerous occasions on the medium tyre, lowering the benchmark even further to a 01:24.360. Soon the checkered flag was unfurled, signaling the end of the third and final practice session. The German sensation remained unchallenged at the top, ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. The teams’ and drivers’ will now frantically continue to prepare for the all-important qualifying hour later in the day, which will determine the grid for Sunday’s 53-lap race.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m24.360s 18 2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.643s +0.283 13 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m24.677s +0.317 22 4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m24.712s +0.352 17 5. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.864s +0.504 19 6. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.865s +0.505 19 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.995s +0.635 14 8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m25.103s +0.743 15 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m25.116s +0.756 20 10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m25.120s +0.760 18 11. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.136s +0.776 16 12. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.273s +0.913 21 13. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.324s +0.964 22 14. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m25.499s +1.139 17 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m25.660s +1.300 21 16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m25.702s +1.342 19 17. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.120s +1.760 11 18. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m26.607s +2.247 21 19. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m27.172s +2.812 20 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.605s +3.245 18 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.665s +3.305 18 22. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m27.822s +3.462 5
Picture Copyright © Pirelli
Lewis Hamilton quickest after practice one at Monza
Lewis Hamilton has ended the opening practice session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend fastest overall for Mercedes, after an intriguing opening 90 minutes to the final European Grand Prix weekend. The Briton was followed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with Nico Rosberg a close 3rd.
The final Grand Prix weekend in Europe dawned in gloriously clear weather conditions around the Autodromo di Monza, as the Formula 1 paddock prepared for the opening practice session of the weekend. Several minor driver changes occurred prior to the start of the session, with GP2 driver James Calado making his official Formula 1 debut at Force India in place of Adrian Sutil. Other driver changes included Rodolfo Gonzalez at Marussia in place of Jules Bianchi and Heikki Kovalainen in place of Giedo van der Garde at Caterham.
As the opening 90 minutes of the weekend began, Max Chiton eventually became the first driver to take to the track after a momentary lull in proceedings. The Briton was quickly followed by many other drivers, including stand-in team-mate Rodolfo Gonzalez as well as the likes of Romain Grosjean, Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa. Although some drivers, including the new Red Bull signing, elected to complete two installation laps, the first few minutes of the session failed to witness the completion of a timed lap.
After the traditional installation laps, Marussia’s Venezuelan reserve driver Rodolfo Gonzalez finally produced the first timed lap of the session with a 01:34.918. As more drivers gradually began to file out onto the circuit, Gonzalez managed to continue improving as he worked his way down to a 01:30.277. The McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Sergio Perez became the next drivers to lower the benchmark at the top of the timing screens, with Button initially working his way down to a 01:27.715 before team-mate Sergio Perez produced a 01:27.238.
The Mexican sensation also continued to improve behind the wheel of his Mercedes-powered machine, as team-mate Jenson Button struggled with a DRS issue and was forced to return to the pits. Sergio Perez’s reign was brought to a abrupt conclusion as the session wore on, as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel soon asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:25.914. Fernando Alonso soon disposed of his Championship rival, as the Spaniard gave Ferrari’s adoring Tifosi masses something to cheer about as he stormed to the top with a 01:25.863.
As the opening session of the weekend wore on, Jenson Button came under investigation by the race stewards for alleged unauthorized use of his DRS overtaking device. However, such an occurrence could well have been due to the device’s misbehavior, which subsequently forced the Briton to return to the pits earlier in the session. Lewis Hamilton ran wide at Turns 4 and 5 as he completed his first laps of the weekend, before storming to the top for the Mercedes after producing a 01:25.565.
Pastor Maldonado violently locked up on the entry to Turn 1, which subsequently forced the Venezuelan to cut the opening chicane. As the Williams driver struggled to negotiate the tight opening two corners, Nico Hulkenberg was struck with a gearbox issue. Despite returning to the pits, the issue failed to be rectified by the mechanics as the German returned to the track only to come to a halt halfway down the pit-lane. During the closing minutes of the session Romain Grosjean out-broke himself at the opening chicane and was forced to run wide, whereas Sergio Perez ran wide and onto the gravel at Turn 7.
As the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session, Lewis Hamilton remained fastest ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg. The teams’ and drivers’ will reconvene later in the day, for the second practice session in preparation the remainder of the weekend.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m25.565s 24 2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m25.600s +0.035s 25 3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m25.704s +0.139s 25 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.753s +0.188s 26 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m25.941s +0.376s 22 6. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.007s +0.442s 24 7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.035s +0.470s 23 8. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.103s +0.538s 27 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m26.149s +0.584s 21 10. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.155s +0.590s 25 11. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.194s +0.629s 25 12. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.295s +0.730s 23 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.387s +0.822s 21 14. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.449s +0.884s 16 15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.594s +1.029s 13 16. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m26.802s +1.237s 21 17. James Calado Force India-Mercedes 1m27.041s +1.476s 24 18. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.224s +1.659s 16 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m27.818s +2.253s 24 20. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m27.869s +2.304s 20 21. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m28.192s +2.627s 21 22. Rodolfo Gonzalez Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.526s +3.961s 26
Picture Copyright © Mercedes AMG Petronas
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