Feature: Star Drivers of the Italian GP Weekend

Frances Fry - "My driver of the Italian GP weekend is none other than Valterri Bottas. So far the Fin has had an incredible season with Williams finishing on the podium 3 times. He must be getting used to the taste of Champagne! 

I choose Bottas because after being stuck behind Hamilton and his bad start, he supplied the crowds with some amazing wheel-to-wheel racing whilst battling forward through the positions. 

Recently this driver has done incredibly by displaying that he can not only drive quickly and hold on to places but that he can also recover a race and battle his way forward. He's shown great determination and skill by battling from out of the top 10 to finishing just off the podium in 4th. 

He's a great addition to the Williams team and I very much look forward to seeing how far he can take the team."

Amy Hawk - "My driver from the Italian Grand Prix weekend is Sergio Perez. Words don't really describe how nervous we all got during those wheel-to-wheel moments. His driving was simply brilliant. The braking, the passing and the way he was able to take on those chicanes while trying to keep Jenson behind.

I think Sergio has surely proved he's great at a clean racing-battle. It was great for the team and the crowds. F1 needs more wheel-to-wheel moments like that. It was fun to watch. We're really proud of him."

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Feature: Italian GP - Our Post-Race Quotes

F1Insider78 Feature - Post-Race Quotes

Amy Hawk - "What a race. Like I said, Italy is one of my favourites. I really enjoyed the wheel-to-wheel battle between Jenson and Checo (Perez) - I think the fans really enjoyed it too.

Congrats to Lewis on his win and of course to the other podium finishers (Rosberg, Massa) - It was a tough race and I think they all performed very well out there, especially around the new parabolica which was challenging.

It was a shame to see Alonso out in the middle of the race. It was shocking as well, but he'll be back for Singapore and will fight to be up in front.

At the end of the race, the contact between Gutierrez and Grosjean was a bit frightening, as it is with all driver-collisions. It was minor and I don't really consider it anyone's fault as Gutierrez reported he was having braking issues, so.. It was just a racing accident. No harm done to either of them, so that's a relief.

We're looking forward to Singapore, which is probably my top favourite circuit for many reasons. Not only is it a street circuit but it's also a night race and when you combine those two, you're in for a good race. Can't wait!"

Frances Fry - "This Grand Prix proved to me, that Monza is an incredible circuit for mistakes to be made without causing too much damage. I think Daniil Kvyat did a more than thorough job of displaying that. In addition to this, the Russian rookie did a fantastic job of displaying the 200mph+ speeds that the driver reach on this track made of mainly straights. 

The only real damage that was made in the race was a few bald spots on tires from locking up, a puncture for Esteban Gutierrez and of course, the DNF of Max Chilton. Having experienced his second DNF of his Formula 1 career, Chilton expressed his upset, having to sit out for the remainder of the race. 

Esteban Gutierrez's puncture was a very sad sight to see. Both Saubers had been supplying an incredible fight for their mid-teen positions before the Mexican made a slight misjudgement of space and pulled back in front of Romain Grosjean after he believed he had made the pass. With Gutierrez's rear right tyre colliding with Grosjean's front left, a puncture was caused on the tyres that Gutierrez had been using since lap 11! 

After all the incredible racing that took place in this round of the championship I believe the drivers deserve the opportunity to grab a small break in the next couple of weeks before they race again."

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Italian GP: Re-Cap & Results

Italian GP: RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

Another incredible race in this season and we're here to talk about what happened in this year's action-filled Italian Grand Prix.

The drama was likely to start before the race lights even went out, and indeed it did. Kvyat ended up being the first of the 22 drivers to endure the 10-Place-Grid-Penalty for changing his ICE component, making it his 6th. (For more on the engine component penalties & usage chart, visit our page entitled "Engine Component Usage Chart) 

With Hamilton on pole, it looked promising for him to have a chance at gaining back a chunk of the points he'd lost at Spa. The battle in the drivers championship has been close all year and it's getting closer and more intense with each race. Unfortunately for Hamilton, his start was unlucky when he found his Mercedes was not launching correctly, so while the car started, it sort of rolled forward instead of the usual 0 to 70. Due to this, Nico Rosberg, Kevin Magnussen and Felipe Massa were able to jump ahead and get a lead.

Things at the back of the grid were a bit more hairy as multiple drivers used the run-off at the first chicane. Either they were trying to avoid what could have been a possible first-lap-collision, or they simply were just locking up and having to use the run-off path.

Sergio Perez managed to overtake 3 cars within the first 2 laps of the race and was already gaining a very incredible pace. His team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg was heading towards the top 10 as well, having started 13th after a tough Qualifying the day before.

Max Chilton was the first of only 2 retirements during this race. The Brit had a scary moment and ended up in the grass. His race was over, but luckily he was unharmed.

Valtteri Bottas who had started on the second row of the grid, had fallen back to 11th but had quickly caught back up and found himself battling with Rosberg, Hamilton and his own team-mate, Massa. Further back, we got to see some intense wheel-to-wheel action between Jenson Button and his former McLaren team-mate, Sergio Perez. Kevin Magnussen was in front of the Force India driver, making the battle tough.

Magnussen, who had earlier reportedly force Valtteri Bottas off of the circuit, was given a 5 Second drive-through penalty, but opted not to take it. Perez knew he would not have to worry about catching Kevin, so he focused on keeping Jenson behind and Jenson indeed made it tough. The two raced quickly beside each other going into the first Lesmo. This was possibly the battle of the season so-far. It was tight, clean racing and both drivers praised each other after the race.

It was a sad day for the crowds when Fernando Alonso's car basically shut-off as he was driving down the main straight, heading for the chicane. He managed to pull-over at the run-off area before climbing out of his Ferrari, looking fairly disappointed. He knew the Ferrari fans would be saddened by this, but there was nothing that could be done. It was later announced it was an ERS issue that had caused the shut-off.

Daniil Kvyat experience a hair-raising moment when he lost his braking which resulted in his Toro Rosso going skidding across a stretch of grass and over some asphalt before bumping back onto the track where he managed to regain control. It was quite shocking that the nose of the car had managed not to touch with the wall-barriers. Props to Daniil for an amazing recovery.

Sauber had a stronger race weekend even with a small incident occurring between Esteban Gutierrez and Lotus driver Romain Grosjean. The Sauber driver had been on an overtaking move when his car skidded and collided with the Lotus, which resulted in the Sauber having a rear-tyre puncture. However, Esteban was quick to the pits and still managed to finish the race. While some people will say it was a "Risky" move - It was not really Esteban's fault as he later mentioned he was suffering from brake problems. The FIA ended up adding a few seconds to his final race time. While it wasn't the luckiest race, the team will indeed come back strong for Singapore.

Magnussen also had 5 Seconds added to his final racing time after he did not go to the pits for his earlier-given drive-through penalty. We are giving you the final race results after both Esteban and Magnussen's penalties have been put in place. We've also updated the Drivers and Constructors Championship Standings post-Italy, so make sure to check that out!

Lewis Hamilton managed to keep Nico behind long enough to win his 6th race of the season and gain back some of those lost championship points. Rosberg came in Second while Felipe Massa offered a surprise 3rd-place-podium-finish. It had been a long time since he'd been up on a podium and you could tell he was absolutely thrilled and relieved.
 
 Now, here are the results.

RACE RESULTS:


1. Lewis Hamiltn / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points
2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany / + 18 Points
3. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / + 15 Points
4. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland / + 12 Points
5. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Australia / + 10 Points
6. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany / + 8 Points
7. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 6 Points
8. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 4 Points
9. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 2 Points
10. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark / + 1 Point
11. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia
12. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany
13. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France
14. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Renault / Venezuela
15. Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany
16. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France
17. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan
18. Jules Bianchi / Marussia-Ferrari / France
19. Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault / Sweden
20. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico

DNF - Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain / ERS Failure
DNF - Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari / Great Britain / Accident 

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Thanks for sticking with us for the Italian Grand Prix weekend! Make sure to follow us on Twitter @F1Insider78
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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Italian GP: Qualifying - Results

Due to technical issues, we are unable to supply a full re-cap at this moment. However, here is the grid line-up for Today's Italian GP.

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain
2. Nico Rosberg / Mercedes-Mercedes / Germany
3. Valtteri Bottas / Williams-Mercedes / Finland
4. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil
5. Kevin Magnussen / McLaren-Mercedes / Denmark
6. Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / Great Britain
7. Fernando Alonso / Ferrari-Ferrari / Spain
8. Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / Germany
9. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-Renault / Red Bull-Renault
10. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
11. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland
12. Jean-Eric Vergne / Toro Rosso-Renault / France
13. Nico Hulkenberg / Force India-Mercedes / Germany
14. Adrian Sutil / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany
15. Esteban Gutierrez / Sauber-Ferrari / Mexico
16. Pastor Maldonado / Lotus-Reanult / Venezuela 
17. Romain Grosjean / Lotus-Renault / France
18. Kamui Kobayashi / Caterham-Renault / Japan
19. Jules Bianchi / M arussia-Ferrari / France
20. Max Chilton / Marussia-Ferrari / Great Britain
21. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Ross-Renault / Russia
PIT-LANE - Marcus Ericsson / Caterham-Renault / Sweden

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk.
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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

Preview Quotes - Williams

Felipe Massa - “Monza is a place I enjoy. I love the people and the fans and I hope now despite the fact that I have moved teams that they still support and cheer for me. Monza is a special circuit as it’s so quick, but the corners are quite slow. Aerodynamics are vital at a track like this and that could benefit us over the weekend. I hope to be competitive here as I think the Italian fans would like to see us do well.”

Valtteri Bottas - “Monza could be a great track for our car and I know we will be busy with our partners, many of whom are coming to Italy. The track is really good fun to drive and it is important to have good straight-line speeds as it has some very quick straights. We have a track specific aero package that we will take, combine that with the strong power-unit and we could have a very competitive weekend.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Quotes made by Drivers. 

Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

Preview Quotes - McLaren

Jenson Button - “I think every racing driver looks forward to Monza. It’s one of the greatest circuits in the world, with a unique layout and an atmosphere and vibe that make it probably the most special place we visit each year. I’ll never grow tired of going there.

Driving out of the pits at Monza is always cool. You’ve been so used to the higher downforce levels that we run at most other circuits, that it just feels crazy when the speeds keeps rising and rising - it never seems to end. And, with ERS and DRS, I think we could have a very special Monza race.

It’s such a fast circuit that it really requires a different driving approach to any other circuit on the calendar. You’re running such low levels of downforce that braking and accelerating are made much trickier - under heavy braking, the car is constantly trying to break away from you; equally, when you’re trying to get the throttle down, the car is unsettled, so the rear is squirming around. It’s a unique challenge.”

Kevin Magnussen - “I last raced at Monza in the World Series by Renault 3.5 back in April last year. I was runner-up in both events, and took a pole too. I’m looking forward to getting back there: it’s such a great racetrack, and it’s a Grand Prix I’ve watched since I was very young - it’s a place where I’ve always wanted to race a Formula One car.

With this year’s hybrid cars, I think Monza will be spectacular, too. We’re expecting to see top-speeds in the region of about 345km/h (214mph) - and that’s without a tow - which ought to be the fastest speeds we’ll have seen so far this season. That will be great for the fans. I think we showed at Spa-Francorchamps that our low-downforce package has kept us in the mix, and I’d like to come away from the Italian weekend with some good points for the team. I certainly think we’re making progress, and it would be good to pull it all together over the course of a single weekend.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Quotes made by Drivers.

Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Lotus

Preview Quotes - Lotus

Romain Grosjean - “I like Monza a lot because it is so distinctive. Monza is a great track that has a lot of great racing history. This makes it nice for us to compete at a place where all our heroes raced too. There is a lot of atmosphere around the track and to race in the setting of the royal park makes for a really special ambience. Of course the Ferrari fans are a big part of it and it is really nice competing at such a legendary venue. 

One of my first ever races in cars was at Monza back in 2003 when I was driving in a category called Formula Lista where I won and then went on to win every race of my rookie season in that formula. I have had some other big results at Monza too throughout my career, so it holds lots of good memories.

What are my aspirations for Monza? I think that it will be tough for us. On paper it is not one of the races that we should do that well at. But as always we will be fighting hard and trying to get the maximum from the weekend, so that it gives us good momentum for the Singapore weekend later in September when we should be stronger and the track should suit the E22 a little better. We will have a one-off rear wing for Monza and the key will be to make the car as quick as possible from an aero point of view, so that we can get back some of the performance from our straight-line speed disadvantage. Then we have to manage the tyre degradation. Also for us it will be tricky in the big corners like the Lesmos and the Ascari chicane because the less downforce you have then the more difficult it is to get good grip in the turns. It is a tough compromise but one I am sure that the team will get the best solution possible.”

Pastor Maldonado - “I like Monza and I love Italy. I actually used to live very close to the circuit when I was starting my career here in Europe. I have won races here so it holds some good memories and special feelings for sure. I have a lot of friends here and a lot of supporters who come and see me at the track, so it is very nice to catch up with them all. The track is totally unique and of course it is great to be racing where all the old heroes did too. Monza has changed only very slightly over the years and it still has the character of the old banking and the parkland trees as you drive through it and of course the fans create a great atmosphere which is a great soundtrack to the Grand Prix.

The track is all about how fast you can go on the start/finish straight and then also on the back straight too. We are reaching the highest speeds of the season on these stretches. One of the critical points is the Parabolica corner. You have to get this right at the end of your lap to ensure a good time, and if you get it wrong it also compromises you for the next lap. It’s difficult to do this as the car is set-up for low downforce on the straights, so it’s more difficult to drive on the corners - especially a long corner like Parabolica, which is tough and fast, the most crucial at Monza.

For sure it is going to be a tough weekend again for us at Lotus F1 Team. Monza is all about power combined with a low downforce set-up so it is a big challenge. I think it will be interesting to see the new 2014-spec cars here because the track is so unique and there is a very particular way to get the best out of the cars. They will be difficult to drive I think for everyone but we will be doing our best to put the Spa weekend behind us and to get more positive energy going before we head off on the long haul races.”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Italian GP: Driver Preview Quotes: Red Bull

Preview Quotes - Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel - “Italy offers a lot: good food, nice places and I think this is the reason you will find a lot of Germans on the beaches there for their holidays! I spent a lot of time when I was young karting in Italy so I got to know a few places like Lake Garda, Napoli in Northern Italy, and Parma, which has a great karting circuit. The level of karting is quite high in Italy because there are a lot of manufacturers there. I have some friends in Italy from the karting days and also Toro Rosso so it is nice to go back there. For me one of the best places is obviously Monza for the race circuit, which is one of the fastest tracks we go to. The 5.793 km long track has brutal deceleration points, is especially tough on the brakes and the tyres are also heavily loaded, especially in the fast corners such as the Curva Grande and Parabolica. It is extremely difficult in Monza to get a perfect lap because it is almost impossible to hit every curve and every chicane in the way you want.”

Daniel Ricciardo - “The biggest challenges at Monza nowadays are the braking zones. The first chicane is the ultimate example: you’re coming down to that first chicane at the highest speed an F1 car will reach all year and you’re braking into one of the tightest corners you’ll take all year. Added to that you’re doing this with the least amount of downforce you’ll have all year – which means the car tends to slide around quite a bit as well as taking longer to stop. You can’t afford to lock a brake but equally you can’t lose time by being too eager on the pedal. It demands that you are really focused all of the time. I’m not really that keen on super-long straights; I find them a little dull compared to hammering through a series of demanding corners but Monza is the exception to that. There’s something about flashing through those trees in front of that massive crowd that definitely gets the pulse all the way up! Also the crowd in Monza is wild. Obviously it’s full-on Ferrari but in the past they’ve always been very generous to me. I’d love to get the opportunity to stand on that brilliant podium and find out!”

Article Posted By: Amy Hawk.

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Quotes made by drivers.

Italian GP: Circuit Preview

(Photo credit belongs to: www.selectmotorracing.com - All rights belong to the rightful owner)

Circuit Preview - Monza

As we head into the 13th GP weekend of the 2014 season, it's time for us to preview the circuit of Monza!

The Autodromo Di Nazionale Di Monza is located in Monza, Italy and is the current host-site of F1's Italian GP. The circuit first opened 1922 and is 3.600 Miles in length. Like most, the circuit runs Clockwise. There's 11 turns and the race runs 53 laps.

The capacity is around 115,000 - So expect to see the stands full of excitement-filled fans.

2013 Look-Back:

Last year's Italian GP saw Sebastian Vettel take like and also win the race with then team-mate, Mark Webber, taking Third. In Second place was Fernando Alonso.

Retirements included Paul Di Resta from collision damage and Jean-Eric Vergne due to a Transmission issue.

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Article Written By: Amy Hawk

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Photo belongs to: www.selectmotorracing.com

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Italian GP: Schedule

We are now a a week away from the 13th round of the 2014 season. Teams and drivers are headed to Monza, Italy for this round. It is another iconic circuit with a lot of history. And, as always we're bringing you the schedule. Everything is in Local Italian Time, so let us know if you'd like it converted to where you live.

SCHEDULE:

September 4th / Thursday

15:00 - Drivers Press Conference (Located in the Press Room)

September 5th / Friday

08:45 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
10:00 - 11:30 Free Practice 1
12:50 - 13:45 Padock Clubt Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice 2
16:00 - 17:00 - Press Conference

September 6th / Saturday

08:30 - 09:15 - Team Pit Stop Practice
08:30 - 09:35 - Paddock lubt Pit Lane Walk
11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice 3
13:00 - 13:45 - Padock Club Pit Lane Walk
14:00 - Qualifying

September 7th / Sunday

08:00 - 08:50 - Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk
12:25 - 13:15 - Paddock Clubt Pit Lane Walk
12:30 - Drivers Track Parade
12:45 - 13:15 - Starting Grid Presentation
13:46 - National Anthem
14:00 - Race Start
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Make sure you follow us on Twitter @F1insider78 for all updates throughout the Italian GP weekend. We'll be doing LIVE Commentary Coverage for ALL free practice rounds.
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Article Written By: Amy Hawk
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