Italian GP - Not fast enough today
Monza, 14th September 2008
Felipe Massa started sixth and finished sixth in the Italian Grand Prix, while Kimi Raikkonen ended his day just outside the points in ninth place. The explanation of this less than satisfactory result is that, in certain track conditions and temperatures, the F2008 was simply not quick enough. Some consolation can be taken from the fact that a Ferrari engine powered the winner- Sebastian Vettel for Scuderia Toro Rosso, who led from pole and never relinquished the lead apart from during the run of pit stops. Felipe's main rival for the championship, Lewis Hamilton, crossed the line in his McLaren-Mercedes one place behind the Brazilian Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver, so one other positive for the Prancing Horse team, is that the Massa only trails the Englishman by a single point in the championship battle. However, with Heikki Kovalainen finishing second in the other McLaren, the Scuderia's lead in the Constructors' classification, with four races remaining has gone down to five points. The final member of the podium party was BMW-Sauber driver, Robert Kubica.
The promise of dry weather proved false and as the cars lined up on the grid, with Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in an unfamiliar sixth and fourteenth on the grid, the rain continued to fall. Nakajima and Button started from the pit lane and the race was started behind the Safety Car, with the use of extreme weather tyres declared compulsory. Fourth placed Bourdais's Toro Rosso did not get off the grid and joined last, already one lap down.
As the Safety Car pulled in after one lap, pole man Vettel lead from Kovalainen, Webber, Rosberg and Felipe. Kimi was thirteenth. On lap 4, Alonso passed Glock to go seventh behind Trulli and Kimi moved up one more place to twelfth, sitting right behind Fisichella. As the only man with clear visibility, Vettel was lapping quicker than anyone, leading Kovalainen by 5.8s. Felipe, still fifth, was 13.4 behind the leader.
Kimi was fighting to get past Fisichella, but this had allowed Hamilton to close right up to the Ferrari man, so that the battle for eleventh was providing all the excitement in the early stages. Lap 9 saw the Finn finally win that particular battle to go eleventh. In fifth spot, Felipe was 0.6 behind Rosberg.
On lap 11 of 53, Hamilton managed to get past Kimi so the order was now Vettel, Kovalainen, Webber, Rosberg, Massa, Trulli, Alonso, Kubica, Glock, Heidfeld, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Coulthard, Barrichello, Piquet, Nakajima, Button, Sutil and Bourdais. Felipe was closing on Rosberg and was now just 0.3 behind. The Ferrari and the Williams had a fantastic duel for several corners, with Felipe getting the advantage to move up to fourth. However, in case he had been deemed to cut the chicane in passing Rosberg, Felipe dropped back and passed him again. Fisichella tapped the back of Coulthard, the front nose of the Force India went under the car and he went straight on into the barriers to retire.
Hamilton was moving up the order, passing Glock and chasing eighth placed Kubica, passing the BMW driver on lap 17. Leading Kovalainen by 11 seconds, race leader Vettel pitted on lap 18 for 8.4 seconds, fitting more extreme rain tyres, coming out of the pits just behind Felipe, who was now third. Kimi was still in twelfth, seemingly unable to move further up the order. Kovalainen pitted from the lead on lap 22, followed by second placed Webber and Felipe, so that Vettel was now back in the lead. Behind him and yet to stop were Rosberg, Hamilton Trulli and Glock. Kimi was having a wheel to wheel dice with Heidfeld for tenth place, while Felipe was 1.4 behind his team-mate in twelfth after his stop. Kimi pitted on lap 26 for a 5.9 stop and Hamilton came in from second on lap 27. With the half distance completed, the race would now pan out between those running a two stop strategy and the later refuellers who were now going all the way to the flag.
On lap 31, Kimi passed Trulli to make it into the top ten and two laps later, Felipe made his second stop, fitting intermediate tyres as the track condition had improved. On lap 34, Kovalainen also fitted intermediates as he made his final stop, followed by Kimi, one lap later. Race leader Vettel made his final stop on lap 36 as did second placed Hamilton. Felipe was now sixth, right behind the slower Alonso and Heidfeld, but finding a way past was proving difficult. The Brazilian did get ahead of Heidfeld but then let him past as he had cut the chicane. Once again Felipe had to contend with having Hamilton right up his gearbox.
The track was drying out in the final stages and Kimi set a fastest race lap on lap 47, now running ninth. Webber and Hamilton, racing for seventh collided on lap 48, but both men managed to continue. Out in front, Vettel led Kovalainen by 14 seconds, with Kubica trailing in third by a further 8.4. Felipe, still sixth had dropped off the back of Heidfeld and had Hamilton 1.2 behind him. From then on positions remained unchanged to the flag.
Felipe Massa started sixth and finished sixth in the Italian Grand Prix, while Kimi Raikkonen ended his day just outside the points in ninth place. The explanation of this less than satisfactory result is that, in certain track conditions and temperatures, the F2008 was simply not quick enough. Some consolation can be taken from the fact that a Ferrari engine powered the winner- Sebastian Vettel for Scuderia Toro Rosso, who led from pole and never relinquished the lead apart from during the run of pit stops. Felipe's main rival for the championship, Lewis Hamilton, crossed the line in his McLaren-Mercedes one place behind the Brazilian Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver, so one other positive for the Prancing Horse team, is that the Massa only trails the Englishman by a single point in the championship battle. However, with Heikki Kovalainen finishing second in the other McLaren, the Scuderia's lead in the Constructors' classification, with four races remaining has gone down to five points. The final member of the podium party was BMW-Sauber driver, Robert Kubica.
The promise of dry weather proved false and as the cars lined up on the grid, with Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen in an unfamiliar sixth and fourteenth on the grid, the rain continued to fall. Nakajima and Button started from the pit lane and the race was started behind the Safety Car, with the use of extreme weather tyres declared compulsory. Fourth placed Bourdais's Toro Rosso did not get off the grid and joined last, already one lap down.
As the Safety Car pulled in after one lap, pole man Vettel lead from Kovalainen, Webber, Rosberg and Felipe. Kimi was thirteenth. On lap 4, Alonso passed Glock to go seventh behind Trulli and Kimi moved up one more place to twelfth, sitting right behind Fisichella. As the only man with clear visibility, Vettel was lapping quicker than anyone, leading Kovalainen by 5.8s. Felipe, still fifth, was 13.4 behind the leader.
Kimi was fighting to get past Fisichella, but this had allowed Hamilton to close right up to the Ferrari man, so that the battle for eleventh was providing all the excitement in the early stages. Lap 9 saw the Finn finally win that particular battle to go eleventh. In fifth spot, Felipe was 0.6 behind Rosberg.
On lap 11 of 53, Hamilton managed to get past Kimi so the order was now Vettel, Kovalainen, Webber, Rosberg, Massa, Trulli, Alonso, Kubica, Glock, Heidfeld, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Coulthard, Barrichello, Piquet, Nakajima, Button, Sutil and Bourdais. Felipe was closing on Rosberg and was now just 0.3 behind. The Ferrari and the Williams had a fantastic duel for several corners, with Felipe getting the advantage to move up to fourth. However, in case he had been deemed to cut the chicane in passing Rosberg, Felipe dropped back and passed him again. Fisichella tapped the back of Coulthard, the front nose of the Force India went under the car and he went straight on into the barriers to retire.
Hamilton was moving up the order, passing Glock and chasing eighth placed Kubica, passing the BMW driver on lap 17. Leading Kovalainen by 11 seconds, race leader Vettel pitted on lap 18 for 8.4 seconds, fitting more extreme rain tyres, coming out of the pits just behind Felipe, who was now third. Kimi was still in twelfth, seemingly unable to move further up the order. Kovalainen pitted from the lead on lap 22, followed by second placed Webber and Felipe, so that Vettel was now back in the lead. Behind him and yet to stop were Rosberg, Hamilton Trulli and Glock. Kimi was having a wheel to wheel dice with Heidfeld for tenth place, while Felipe was 1.4 behind his team-mate in twelfth after his stop. Kimi pitted on lap 26 for a 5.9 stop and Hamilton came in from second on lap 27. With the half distance completed, the race would now pan out between those running a two stop strategy and the later refuellers who were now going all the way to the flag.
On lap 31, Kimi passed Trulli to make it into the top ten and two laps later, Felipe made his second stop, fitting intermediate tyres as the track condition had improved. On lap 34, Kovalainen also fitted intermediates as he made his final stop, followed by Kimi, one lap later. Race leader Vettel made his final stop on lap 36 as did second placed Hamilton. Felipe was now sixth, right behind the slower Alonso and Heidfeld, but finding a way past was proving difficult. The Brazilian did get ahead of Heidfeld but then let him past as he had cut the chicane. Once again Felipe had to contend with having Hamilton right up his gearbox.
The track was drying out in the final stages and Kimi set a fastest race lap on lap 47, now running ninth. Webber and Hamilton, racing for seventh collided on lap 48, but both men managed to continue. Out in front, Vettel led Kovalainen by 14 seconds, with Kubica trailing in third by a further 8.4. Felipe, still sixth had dropped off the back of Heidfeld and had Hamilton 1.2 behind him. From then on positions remained unchanged to the flag.
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