Sebastian Vettel has set nineteen fastest laps, taken forty pole positions, won thirty-two races and from the looks of things soon to be a fourth time world champion. The German has unquestionably edged significantly closer to his fourth consecutive title after winning the Italian GP.
The German driver was hardly challenged at the front of the Italian GP as he romped to his sixth win of the 2013 season. He made his customary break in the first two laps of the race and seemed to control it at ease for the remaining 53 laps. But looks can be deceiving however as the Red Bull ace had to contend with several minor issues throughout the race.
A heavily flat spotted tyre was the first cause of concern for the Red Bull pitwall and later in the race instruction to Vettel was to short shift in fifth and sixth gear. Pace however was no issue at all as Vettel effortlessly pulled away from second place man Fernando Alonso.
Felipe Massa momentarily slotted into second place but was efficiently overtaken by teammate Alonso who had put a gutsy move on Webber into the second chicane. The Australian looked poised to do some serious battle for the second step of the podium in the second half of the race but a similar call from the team instructed him to short shift between second and third gear. Nevertheless, Webber finished less than a second behind Alonso.
Ultimately, the Tifosi didn’t quite get the victory they had hoped for but were still left with something to cheer about as Fernando Alonso brought his scarlet Ferrari home in second place.
Teammate Felipe Massa finished fourth but the rumours about his future at the Italian team continue to swirl, recently, with added intensity. Several reports are suggesting that Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen will be announced as a Ferrari driver for 2014 on Wednesday. Nico Hulkenberg has also been linked with the seat.
The star of Saturday qualifying, Hulkenberg finished a welcome fifth for Sauber; a great drive from the German who is surely now primed to move to a more competitive team.
Nico Rosberg finished sixth overall ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Romain Grosjean in seventh and eighth respectively.
Kimi Raikkonen, in his current Lotus guise, didn’t have a great Italian GP in terms of points. In fact, he didn’t score any points at all.
An uncharacteristic clunk up the back of Sergio Perez’s McLaren forced the Finn into the pits for a new wing after only two laps had been completed.
Armed with the slightly faster medium compound tyres, Raikkonen set several fastest laps but ultimately fell short of the points paying positions in eleventh. An issue with the KERS system and a request to save fuel throughout the race didn’t help Raikkonen’s cause either.
Lewis Hamilton found himself in a similar situation as he was forced into the pitlane early in the race with a slow puncture. The 2008 world champion was able to recover to ninth place after a feisty drive through the field. Jenson Button scored the final point on offer in tenth lamenting an incorrect choice of gear ratios.
There were only two retirements from the race with the first being Paul di Resta who clouted the back of Romain Grosjean and exited the race in a pile of destroyed carbon fibre at the exit of the first chicane.
Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne bid the Italian GP adieu with what looked like engine failure on lap 15.
Belgium and Italy were supposed to be the Red Bull team’s Achilles heel. Never were these two tracks to play to the strength of the prolific Sebastian Vettel much less to his supposedly straightline-speed-challenged-car. It must be ominous then for those who fancy themselves a contender in this championship. Not only were they beaten by Vettel’s Red Bull but summarily routed.
What are your highlights for the Italian GP? Let us know in he comments section below!
Photo Credits:
Sebastian Vettel – Press conference screen grab
Fernando Alonso – Photo by Fernando Alonso himself, via Instagram
Kimi Raikkonen – Screen grab
