At Monza Sunday none of the 2008 title contenders had an answer for the pace of Sebastian Vettel and his Toro Rosso. Starting from pole, the 21-year old German controlled the race from the front to become the youngest ever winner of a World Championship Formula 1 race.
Vettel Signals Intentions in Qualifying
Rain in September at Monza is a highly unusual occurrence but a wet qualifying session allowed some drivers to shine and some big names to flounder. Neither Lewis Hamilton nor Kimi Raikkonen made it into the second session. Hamilton struggled to generate rear brake temperature and the championship leader wound up 15th, with Raikkonen just one place better off.
The front of the grid had an unusual look to it. Vettel, quickest in the second session, repeated the performance to become the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history. Next to him was McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen, with Mark Webber third in the Red Bull. Sebastien Bourdais continued his recent upturn in form by putting his Toro Rosso in fourth position. Nico Rosberg showed his ability by qualifying his Williams fifth, with Hamilton’s nearest title challenger, Felipe Massa, in sixth.
Vettel Makes F1 History at Monza
Due to a wet track and poor visibility the race started behind the safety car. There was heartbreak for Bourdais who failed to get off the grid. He eventually got going, albeit a lap down. Meanwhile, his team-mate Vettel opened up a two second lead by the end of the first lap.
Vettel was on a two-stop strategy, making it crucial for him to build a gap over the one-stoppers. Kovalainen remained second but could not challenge Vettel. Further down the field, Hamilton began making progress, including a pass on Raikkonen. Once again, in unfavourable conditions, the Finn had a day to forget.
Hamilton continued his march through the field, although the Briton was involved in a couple of questionable incidents, running Timo Glock and Webber off the circuit. Towards the end Hamilton looked like being a genuine threat to Vettel, but by that time the track was drying. Vettel, having changed to intermediates, was fuelled to go to the finish. Hamilton, meanwhile, had to dive into the pits to change tyres, eventually finishing seventh. Crucially, he was only one place behind Massa, his nearest title challenger.
At the flag there were scenes of unbridled euphoria in the Toro Rosso pit as their mechanics – many of them ex-Minardi – celebrated Vettel’s stunning victory. A Ferrari engine had won at home, but in a customer car. The fact that the Ferrari works cars were defeated by an Adrian Newey designed chassis will not have escaped Maranello's top brass. Quoted on ITV’s Formula 1 site, www.itv-f1.com, the German youngster gave his thoughts on the victory;
“A fantastic race, a fantastic weekend with pole as well and a fantastic strategy this afternoon. As for the podium ceremony it was unbelievable and this is the best day of my life. I will never forget these feelings.”
Kovalainen trailed home a distant second, while Robert Kubica had made steady progress from 11th on the grid to finish third. Kubica’s team-mate Nick Heidfeld claimed fifth, the BMW’s sandwiching Fernando Alonso’s Renault. Webber claimed the final point in eighth, blaming traffic for his failure to finish higher up the order.
Leaving Monza there is just a single point separating Hamilton and Massa in the championship. Raikkonen’s ninth place finish in Italy has all but ended his title challenge. With long range weather forecasts predicting a chance of rain during the next race in Singapore there may be yet more unexpected results in this fascinating season.
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