Monza

[Brogan]

Is it going to be Forza Ferrari this weekend or will McLaren spoil the party?

How will Giancarlo Fisichella fare in his first drive in the prancing horse? Will he be able to match Kimi's times or will everyone be saying "look how bad you are"?


Antonio Liuzzi will be looking to impress, hoping that his promotion will remain permanent for next year.

Jenson Button will be hoping to qualify a lot higher up the grid so he has less chance of being involved in an incident at the back of the pack on the first lap.

Rubens, Seb V and Mark will all be trying to significantly reduce the gap to the championship leader, something they haven't been able to do for the last few races.

I suspect the McLarens will do well at Monza thanks to KERS (well, one of them will at least....).
Heikki really needs to up his game now if he wants to hang on to his seat for next year, although it may be too late already: McLaren confirm Rosberg talks

Circuit data and video here: Italy - Autodromo Nazionale Monza

The official FIA preview is here: Italian Grand Prix Preview

Click here for the FIA interactive circuit map.

 

[FB]

In amongst all the cheating allegations, driver silly season speculation, teams pulling out, being sold, set up, bid for and bids being rejected a Grand Prix is about to break out

Sky bet has Vettel at 7/2 to win with Hammy at 4/1, Kimi at 11/2 and Jenson 8/1. I presume Italy will be hot so Brawn may get their tyres to work. Red Bull seem to do well at faster circuits, I've seen some figures which showed that Red Bull had the fastest car at Spa (any statisticians care to agree or disagree?) and is the Mclaren revival really as shorted lived as it appears.

Me, I'd like to see Rosberg win for Williams but that's just not going to happen, unless it rains perhaps...

 

[Speshal]

unless it rains perhaps...

Ooooh just looked at the forecast above, that could throw the cat amongst the pigeons, that said it is the BBC forecast

Could be interesting.

 

[Brogan]

McLaren looking good after P1 and Yo-yota looking not so good

Fisi is doing a decent job of matching Kimi so Badoer really has no excuse now.
Liuzzi just over a second behind Sutil but we don't know what fuel or tyres they were both running.

Pos  Driver       Team                       Time              Laps

 1.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:23.936            26

 2.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:24.332  + 0.396   27

 3.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:24.471  + 0.535   24

 4.  Alonso       Renault               (B)  1:24.477  + 0.541   21

 5.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:24.683  + 0.747   25

 6.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:24.703  + 0.767   35

 7.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:24.706  + 0.770   21

 8.  Fisichella   Ferrari               (B)  1:24.732  + 0.796   24

 9.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:24.759  + 0.823   19

10.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               (B)  1:24.761  + 0.825   26

11.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:24.813  + 0.877   20

12.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:24.826  + 0.890   24

13.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:24.927  + 0.991   29

14.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:25.150  + 1.214   28

15.  Grosjean     Renault               (B)  1:25.612  + 1.676   18

16.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:25.689  + 1.753   29

17.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:25.742  + 1.806   30

18.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:25.951  + 2.015    8

19.  Trulli       Toyota                (B)  1:26.020  + 2.084   23

20.  Glock        Toyota                (B)  1:26.325  + 2.389   17

 

[Speshal]

I think Lewis should pack a parachute, he was getting some serious air over the new, higher kerbs - does that count as leaving the racetrack

 

[Brogan]

As bad as this?

 

[Brogan]

Another pole position for Force India tomorrow?

Pos  Driver       Team                       Time              Laps

 1.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:23.924            28

 2.  Grosjean     Renault               (B)  1:24.163  + 0.239   31

 3.  Alonso       Renault               (B)  1:24.297  + 0.373   35

 4.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:24.482  + 0.558   41

 5.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:24.622  + 0.698   40

 6.  Glock        Toyota                (B)  1:24.634  + 0.710   36

 7.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:24.693  + 0.769   34

 8.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               (B)  1:24.796  + 0.872   39

 9.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:24.799  + 0.875   36

10.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:24.884  + 0.960   44

11.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:24.902  + 0.978   32

12.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:24.921  + 0.997   39

13.  Trulli       Toyota                (B)  1:24.967  + 1.043   40

14.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:24.979  + 1.055   25

15.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:25.003  + 1.079   34

16.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:25.140  + 1.216   35

17.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:25.215  + 1.291   38

18.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:25.386  + 1.462   27

19.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:25.424  + 1.500   32

20.  Fisichella   Ferrari               (B)  1:25.543  + 1.619   36

 

[teabagyokel]

Fisi looks like Badoer in this session, and 18th and 19th? Vettel & Button?

 

[RickD]

Who had the fastest sector times as can't find it and read that sec1 and 2 were Button?

If so, there is some sand-bagging there, if not, then he may get away with it again this weekend as no-one else in the Championship hunt is doing any better..

 

[Brogan]

Not sure Rick, you can try the FIA site.

TBY, I think Fisi was probably trying some heavy fuel runs in P2 as he was matching Kimi in P1.

 

[RickD]

Can't find them on FIA site, only lap times, can't have a look at live timing due to the bloody poxy server here.

Oh well, will just have to wait until later..

 

[Brogan]

Oh dear.....Fisi has dropped it during P3 and hit the tyre barrier.

Ferrari have a big job to get it fixed for the race now.

 

[Brogan]

Giancarlo has to be regretting his switch to Ferrari now.
Sutil has been 3rd, 1st and 1st through all 3 practice sessions.

We could quite easily see another Force India pole and podium tomorrow.

Pos  Driver       Team                       Time               Laps

 1.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:23.336           21

 2.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:23.404  + 0.068  21

 3.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:23.490  + 0.154  18

 4.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  1:23.575  + 0.239  20

 5.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:23.633  + 0.297  18

 6.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  1:23.803  + 0.467  20

 7.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  (B)  1:23.849  + 0.513  21

 8.  Alonso       Renault               (B)  1:23.915  + 0.579  17

 9.  Glock        Toyota                (B)  1:23.959  + 0.623  21

10.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber            (B)  1:23.996  + 0.660  18

11.  Grosjean     Renault               (B)  1:24.197  + 0.861  15

12.  Raikkonen    Ferrari               (B)  1:24.302  + 0.966  20

13.  Trulli       Toyota                (B)  1:24.326  + 0.990  17

14.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:24.392  + 1.056  20

15.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:24.572  + 1.236  23

16.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota       (B)  1:24.621  + 1.285  21

17.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:25.154  + 1.818  13

18.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1:25.244  + 1.908  16

19.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  1:25.791  + 2.455  10

20.  Fisichella   Ferrari               (B)  1:25.951  + 2.615  10

 

[RickD]

Looking good for Brawn, not good for Red Bull..

Go Jense..

 

[Brogan]

Adrian Sutil very nearly repeated Giancarlo Fisichella's pole at Spa.
Is Fisi now regretting his move bearing in mind both Force Indias are ahead of him on the grid?

Both Brawns are 1 stopping so they could be well placed.

 

[teabagyokel]

Force India on pole! Well, not yet, but I predict that Lewis Hamilton will be demoted for exiting the pitlane in Buemi's path. (The stewards don't usually need a pretext to punish Hamilton.)

So we'll see another FI pole position. Who's looking stupid now, eh, Fisi?

 

[Brogan]

Good news for a change.

The Stewards have decided not to punish Hamilton after hearing the testimony of both drivers.

 

[Brogan]

Fuel adjusted grid data here: F1 Fuel Adjusted Grid & Qualifying Times 2009 - Italy

Everyone 1 stopping except for Lewis, Adrian and Kimi.

Rubens fastest fuel adjusted, Liuzzi 4th - nice one Vitantonio.

 

[Speshal]

Lewis has some serious pace over the other 2 stoppers then. I hope he can get a good start and scamper off.

No wonder Jenson had a grin on his chops after quali

 

[Brogan]

Well Heikki is best placed of all it would seem.

He is the first of the 1 stoppers and he has KERS so if he can stay ahead of the chasing pack and keep within 25 seconds of the front 3 then the race is his to lose.