08/09/2012
NEWS STORY
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If drama is what you need, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza has always been more than able to supply it, even if sometimes it meant witnessing tragedy. Although severely emaciated since its glory years, the circuit still has a torrid reputation and must be treated with the utmost respect.
In this morning's final practice session, Lewis Hamilton pipped Fernando Alonso by just one-thousandth of a second, heading into qualifying just how much more drama can you handle.
Well, if that isn't enough, the top fourteen were covered by 0.985 with the leading six separated by just 0.458.
A late charge saw Paul di Resta go third however, an overnight gearbox change means the Scot will forfeit five grid places following today's session.
Not to be outdone, Hamilton and Alonso's teammates, Felipe Massa and Jenson Button, were on the pace, the pair finishing fifth and sixth. The Englishman, who won last time out, appeared to have a technical issue late in the session which could account for his failure to finish higher.
Nico Rosberg was sixth quickest on what was a difficult morning for Mercedes, Michael Schumacher having to spend much of the hour without KERS having yesterday suffered a DRS failure.
If it was a mixed morning for Mercedes it was truly disappointing for Red Bull, Mark Webber and Sebastian finishing eleventh and twelfth, the German suffering a late electrical issue which caused him to pull off track.
With little difference between the two compounds yesterday, the medium rubber was clearly quicker this morning and the gap should widen further over the next hour.
Of the rest, Kimi Raikkonen was up there but somehow the Lotus doesn't look convincing here, though full credit Jerome d'Ambrosio for the speed with which he has got to grips with the car.
With his teammate facing a five-place drop, Nico Hulkenberg will seek to further establish himself within Force India, the German still on a high from his superb performance in Spa.
Williams made an improvement this morning, and while Bruno Senna spent much of the session gesticulating at rivals, Pastor Maldonado - sporting the words 'less trouble more speed' in his helmet kept his head down and got on with the job.
Still hurting from the nightmare of Spa, Sauber is keen to make amends, and Sergio Perez' seventh this morning must give the popular Swiss outfit hope. Surprising however that teammate Kamui Kobayashi was so far off the pace. That said, even though he was fifteenth, he was only 1.111s off Hamilton's best, clear proof of how close it really is this season.
As for Toro Rosso, the obvious benefactors of Sauber's spa woes, it is back to earth with a horrendous bump this weekend, the STR7 appearing to be real handful here.
Caterham still looks longingly at the rear of the midfield with Marussia showing further signs of improvement and HRT doing well to close the gap to the rest.
Air temperature ahead of Q1 is 27 degrees C while the track temperature is 39 degrees.
The lights go green and twenty seconds later Ricciardo gets the session underway. Moments later, another driver with Italian blood, d'Ambrosio, joins him. Funny enough, so does di Resta.
Vettel, Webber, Rosberg and Schumacher are among the early risers.
Ricciardo crosses the line at 26.760 however, this is soon beaten by d'Ambrosio (26.712).
As di Resta posts 25.384, Hulkenberg makes goes straight on at the first chicane. Shortly after the German pulls to the side of the track, a nightmare for the Silverstone based team. Replay shows Hulkenberg informing his team that he had "no gear".
Rosberg and Schumacher make it a Mercedes 1-2, the younger driver crossing the line at 25.209.
Di Resta retakes the top spot with a 25.004 only to be demoted by Alonso (24.540) while Ferrari teammate Massa goes third.
A big, big lock-up at the first chicane for Schumacher as Rosberg remains second despite being quickest in the first two sectors.
With 11@20 on the clock, Hamilton and Button finally leave the pits. Vettel goes seventh and Webber tenth.
Hamilton's first lap sees the McLaren driver go fourteenth (25.988) while Alonso goes quickest in the first two sectors before finally crossing the line at 24.175. The Spaniard is setting an astonishing pace.
Hamilton improves to third (24.840), while, moments later, his teammate goes eighth with a 25.193.
As Maldonado goes sixteenth (25.903), all but Hulkenberg have posted a time.
All but the Marussias and HRTs posted their times on the harder rubber.
Hamilton goes quickest in the first two sectors, however, after losing time in S3 he can only manage 24.211.
Button improves to third with a 24.672 as the Toro Rossos, Caterhams and d'Ambrosio, who is in the danger zone, switch to the softer rubber.
Vergne can only manage sixteenth (25.812), the Frenchman, like his teammate, under intense pressure here.
D'Ambrosio can only manage 25.883 which leaves him seventeenth. With Kovalainen only managing 26.441 the Lotus stand-in appears safe… for now.
While the leading thirteen settle for their times, Webber is among the eleven drivers who come out for the final shoot-out. Hard times for Red Bull.
Kovalainen fails to improve on d'Ambrosio's time meaning the Belgian lives to fight another day. It is a sign of the sheer grunt demanded at this circuit that so many drivers were able to settle for their times.
So, at the end of Q1, we lose: Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, Pic, Karthikeyan, de la Rosa and Hulkenberg.
Quickest was Alonso, ahead of Hamilton, Button, Rosberg, di Resta, Massa, Vettel, Maldonado, Senna and Raikkonen.
Di Resta gets Q2 underway, both Force India drivers now having suffered gearbox problems this weekend.
In no time at all the Scot is joined by ten other drivers all of them on mediums except d'Ambrosio who is on hards. Soon all but the McLarens are on track.
Di Resta posts 24.668 while Raikkonen goes second with a 25.182. Once again, Schumacher gets the first chicane wrong, the German needing to run over the sleeping policemen.
Going quickest in all three sectors Alonso crosses the line at 24.242 to take the top spot. Vettel goes third ahead of Raikkonen and Perez.
Massa, again running ahead of his teammate, gives the Spaniard a two, however, While Alonso fails to improve the Brazilian goes second with a 24.505. Ferrari 1-2.
A 24.255 sees Button split the Ferraris as Hamilton finally leaves the pits.
As Schumacher goes seventh, Alonso goes quickest in S2 before diving into the pits along with teammate Massa. Ferrari is clearly looking at using Massa for slipstreaming purposes. An age old tactic, especially at this circuit.
On his first flying lap Hamilton goes third with a 24.394, the Englishman complaining that he was "held up".
With Vettel ninth, and 6:50 on the clock, Webber can only manage thirteenth (25.105).
Rosberg gets all crossed up at the first chicane, the German needing to use the escape road.
With 4:25 on the clock, the danger zone comprises: Senna, Perez, Webber, Kobayashi, d'Ambrosio, Ricciardo and Vergne.
The top five, Alonso, Button, Hamilton, Massa and Rosberg appear to have settled for their times though sixth-placed di Resta hasn't.
Lots of PBs from those on track with Perez improving to tenth only to be demoted when Maldonado improves to tenth. Vettel drops to eleventh.
Kobayashi improves to eighth as Vettel posts a PB in S1. The German loses pace in S2 while teammate Webber posts a PB. At the line Vettel posts 24.687 to go ninth however, Webber can only manage 24.809 which puts him eleventh. He misses Q3 for the second race running.
Alonso is quickest, ahead of Button, di Resta, Hamilton, Massa, Rosberg, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Vettel and Raikkonen.
We lose Webber, Maldonado, Perez, Senna, Ricciardo, d'Ambrosio and Vergne.
Playing up to the home crowd, Alonso is first out for Q3, followed, as one would expect, by his Ferrari teammate. The crowd cheers, banners raised, air horns sounded and flags waved.
Soon all but the Mercedes duo, Raikkonen and Kobayashi are on track.
Might Alonso set a pole-winning time and then give Massa a tow with an eye on an all Ferrari front row.
Er, no, not really. On the approach to Ascari Alonso slows and Massa passes him. Massa posts 24.436 while his teammate crosses the line at 30.976.
Di Resta heads back to the pits, the Scot no doubt aiming to do one late run.
Hamilton goes quickest in all three sectors, crossing the line at 24.010. Button goes third with a 24.479. Surprisingly, Alonso pits, the Spaniard not having improved on his 30.976.
Vettel posts 25.093 to go fourth as the focal point remains Ferrari's strategy in terms of Alonso.
A 24.833 sees Rosberg go fourth with teammate Schumacher leapfrogging him with a 24.540 moments later. Raikkonen posts 24.993 to go sixth.
With 2:00 on the clock both Ferraris are on track… together. Indeed, all ten drivers are on track.
Di Resta goes quickest in S1, as Kobayashi posts 25.109 to go eighth. The Scot maintains a strong pace in S2 finally crossing the line at 24.304 to go third.
Rosberg fails to improve on sixth while attention switches to the Ferraris and McLarens.
Hamilton goes quickest in S1, as Massa consolidates second only to be knocked off the front row by Button, giving McLaren a lock-out on Ferrari's track.
Amazingly, Alonso can only manage 25.678 which means the Spaniard will start from tenth, even with di Resta's penalty.
Hamilton quickest, ahead of Button, Massa, di Resta, Schumacher, Vettel, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Kobayashi and Alonso.
Webber is eleventh, ahead of Maldonado, Perez, Senna, Ricciardo, d'Ambrosio and Vergne, Kovalainen, Petrov, Glock, Pic, Karthikeyan, de la Rosa and Hulkenberg.
While it's a great result for Massa, one has to wonder what on earth happened to Alonso. In the Ferrari garage, the frustration on Luca di Montezemolo's face says it all, this was not strategy.
A week ago, Alonso was the unfortunate victim of an incident which cost him valuable points and turned the championship on its head. With the notorious first chicane here one has to wonder if tomorrow we might witness a similar incident. While Grosjean wont be there to cause trouble, the McLaren duo, combined with an under-fire Massa and charged up Schumacher and Vettel, not forgetting Rosberg, Raikkonen and Kobayashi, looks a possible recipe for disaster.
Check out our Qualifying gallery, here.