Report cards of the Italian GP

BrawnGp scored a double in Monza, with Barrichello taking the victory and taking two points away from teammate Button in the standings. Ferrari once again on the podium with Raikkonen, who takes advantage of Hamilton's last lap accident. Force India is still in great shape, with Sutil fourth and Liuzzi retiring but producing a superb performance. Fisichella, making his debut on the Red, finished just on the edge of the points. Enjoy the reading!

Lewis Hamilton: 5,5 – We took the trouble to count the laps covered throughout his weekend in Brianza: between Friday and Sunday the Englishman covered 151 and a half laps, for a total of 877,63 km. Yet the most important are the three kilometers not covered, that is, those that separate the first of Lesmo from the finish line. Those 3.000 meters nullify a performance that to define as exemplary is an understatement. With a fast but not very fast car and with an all in all penalizing strategy, the Englishman put on a great show by leading the way for most of the race and on his way to an all in all excellent third place finish. But the instinct of the champion is what it is, and it leads you to attack always and anyway. Even more so if you are out of the fight for the world championship, and can afford not to think. This explains the personal best on the penultimate lap and the subsequent partial record in the first sector. Unfortunately for him the mistake comes immediately afterwards, depriving him of six points which are irrelevant for him but fundamental for the team in the chase against Ferrari. Is it better to secure a third place or fight to catch Button, knowing that it would be almost impossible to pass him? In hindsight the question doesn't even arise. But with hindsight, as a proverb says, the graves are full. Lewis apologizes to the team but still says he is satisfied for having driven at a qualifying pace for the entire race. We certainly believe him, but we cannot justify the mistake and the accident. Even if we understand it: with another character he would have brought home six points, but last year he would hardly have won the world championship. A question of instinct, precisely. Nothing enough, but nothing less. Killer.

Heikki Kovalainen: 5 – And to think that after qualifying he was practically the favorite for the final victory. Fourth place on the grid, with the significant fuel load on board and the one-stop strategy, was in fact an excellent viaticum towards a positive race. And instead it ruins everything. During the first lap he loses a lot of positions, despite the Kers. An inexplicable surrender, seasoned with a totally insufficient race pace. When he wakes up it is already too late, and the sixth place finish only accrues thanks to the bang of his teammate (on which we suspect that the FIA ​​will NOT open an investigation). He blames the hard tires that didn't allow him to push hard during the first stint. Maybe, but leaving aside the fact that with the same tires Hamilton literally flies, we find it difficult to blame the tires for the overtaking suffered by Barrichello, Button and Liuzzi (on the outside of the Parabolica!!!). Even more so since - we repeat - he had the Kers. In Monza, McLaren paid the price for the mistakes - of the opposite type - of its drivers, and it is unlikely that such an opportunity will arise again to nibble on points from Ferrari in the Constructors' championship. And, after a similar race, more like a mysterious object than a... flying finnIn our opinion, Heikki will be the first to enter the dock. (inexplicably) Dull.

Giancarlo Fisichella: 6,5 – To avoid any misunderstanding: your weekend was positive. Always to avoid any misunderstanding: he was not the savior of the country that many - naively - expected. There are many variables to weigh to evaluate his performance. The comparison with Badoer is certainly merciless for the Treviso native. But it is also true that Giancarlo is a trained, active rider and therefore started from a much better base. The gap from Raikkonen was undoubtedly significant. Too? Little? Right? Whatever you think, it's not for us to say. Ninth place in the race, on the edge of the points zone, is a decent result, in some ways positive in others not, but all in all more than acceptable. The only thing we can quibble about is the bang in Saturday's free practice, which according to everyone, decisively affects the approach to qualifying and, therefore, the result in the race. There are those who defined his weekend as 'unlucky' precisely on the basis of that accident. Which, however, seems to us to have been caused by an error on his part, not by supernatural interventions. Whoever is the cause of his pain should cry himself, says a proverb. Blaming bad luck is unfair to say the least, it's better to avoid messing up your life alone by doing the one thing that shouldn't have been done at that point in the weekend, even with all the mitigating circumstances involved. In any case, in the race he doesn't make mistakes despite a pressure that would have knocked out an army of buffaloes, and shows an encouraging pace. We'll see how it goes in Valencia. And we'll pretend we didn't hear his complaints about the first lap duel with Vettel. Someone who has been in F1 for 13 years knows very well that it is legitimate to expect certain things on the first lap, and crying about it only stereotypes him like the average second driver of the Red team from a few years ago. Or not?

Kimi Räikkönen: 9th – Once again he takes the podium, and once again maximizes Ferrari's potential. Asking him for more would be too much. Of course, Hamilton's bang on the last lap serves him third place on a silver platter, but he is the only one capable of slipping into the middle of the cloud of single-seaters powered by Mercedes - the engine that proved to be the best in Monza. of the lot - and it doesn't seem like a small thing to us. At the start Sutil overtakes and almost manages to pass Hamilton, but honestly admits that little would have changed even if he had succeeded. From then on his race was a continuous duel with Sutil's Force India, which put pressure on him until the last meter (and thank goodness it didn't crash into him, mindful of Monaco 2008). As a good Iceman - but is it really like this? - he doesn't care and, despite losing ground in the third stint, he doesn't make any mistakes until he wins an unexpected podium. The result also gains value if one considers that the Indian car was probably faster than the Ferrari, and if Sutil had had a lap or two more fuel at the second stop he would almost certainly have jumped ahead of the Maranello team. But anyway: with ifs and buts, history is not made, and the story of Monza tells of another podium for the driver from Espoo. Not bad for someone who was considered a goner and - according to the common opinion of the paddock - already largely out of the team for 2010. Could it have been a good deal? Maybe'. If he continues to race like this there are some doubts... we'll see. Constant.

Robert Kubica: 5,5 – After the flashes of competitiveness shown in the previous races, BMW returns to earth by self-destructing in practice immediately after Q1. This gives him a less than exciting grid position. He puts his best foot forward by engaging in a picturesque but useless rustic duel with Mark Webber, resulting in damage to the front wing on the left side. Despite a dangling piece he still manages to lap at decent times, even overtaking Vettel. Then the race director forces him - rightly - to replace the damaged part to prevent it from coming loose and hitting another car. Of course, we mere mortals have many doubts: millions and millions of euros are spent on highly sophisticated simulations in the wind tunnel, ever more sophisticated wings are built, only to then discover that with a broken piece and on the verge of breaking off the car goes fast. the same. A few years ago Ralf Schumacher's Williams lost the lateral flow diverters during a test and the team realized that the car without those details was much more balanced. Mysteries of aerodynamics. Or of the human psyche perhaps. Delusional dissertations aside, the pit stop effectively put an end to his race, which ended due to an oil leak a few laps later. Too bad, because his teammate scores points and he scores zero. The accident at the start is the fault of both or neither, depending on how you think in these cases. But sufficiency seems too much to us. Distracted.

Nick Heidfeld: 7 – Thanks to a very intelligent race conduct he manages to collect two precious points not so much for the ranking but for his future. He made a mistake at the start, but with determination managed to recover several positions in the first laps, also passing Trulli and Fisichella, who also had the Kers. He follows Vettel and manages to overtake him in the pit stop waltz. Then he simply brings the car to the finish line, aware of the fact that it is impossible to catch Kovalainen.. Hamilton's accident makes him gain another position, but his performance would have been equally positive. In fact, he demonstrates that experience and the ability to stay out of trouble pays off even in a race with a regular flow like that of Monza, even if you don't have a missile car and if you don't start from an exceptional position. Calmness is the virtue of the strong, it was once said. Forgive us for yet another proverb, but it was to say that all in all it might still be worth investing in him for 2010. After all, with all the necessary distinctions, he has four points more in the standings than his teammate , a prized piece on the pilots' market. Leathery.

Fernando Alonso: 7th – Still at the finish line, still in the points. But without exalting it. He was probably the least focused driver of the entire race. And there probably is a reason: beyond the overtaking against Vettel in the early stages of the race, there is practically nothing else to talk about the Spaniard's race. Starting from an ineffective start despite Renault's decision to re-adopt the Kers in its managing director Flavio Briatore's home race. Fighting against cars equipped with the Mercedes engine in Monza was a titanic undertaking, and he was careful not to attempt the feat, aware of the limitations of the French single-seater. Of course, a little more determination wouldn't have hurt. We probably always expect something magical from him, and we realize that it is not humanly possible. Just as it becomes impossible, at this point, to give it an excessively high rating. Without rancor. Usual gold medal for the curtain call staged with Stella Bruno before the start. Stella Bruno: «Is it difficult to concentrate before the race?» Fernando: «No, I'm in the garage just to stay in the shade». Stella Bruno: «And then you have to respond to the television stations…» Fernando: «It's not a problem. I speak but I think about other things, not about what I say." Chapeau.

Romain Grosjean: 5th – No, we're not there. He remains at a safe distance from Alonso both in practice and in the race. But more than debt, the gap seems abysmal. Obviously we must not forget that he is a rookie, but if in your second Grand Prix you collide with someone else at the start for the second time in a row... something starts to look wrong. This time the good Romain doesn't throw anyone out, unlike in Spa, but complains about a drop in performance of his car due to the contacts in the first chicane. This, according to him, prevents him from scoring points. And he keeps it, we add, at arm's length. He finishes fifteenth, lapped, ahead only of Nico Rosberg's Williams. Honestly, the difference between his performances and those of Piquet jr is minimal. We wish them to calm their hot spirits: the experience will come by accumulating km, the coldness will not. Fiery.

Jarno Trulli: 5 – Toyota shows up at Monza in a frankly embarrassing state of form, and Jarno adapts. He followed Nakajima for the entire race without managing to pass him, incapable of any noteworthy sprint. Of course the vehicle is a significant mitigating factor, however... And in fact, aware of such insignificance, he decides to engage in a furious rustic duel with his teammate. First the challenge arrives on the pit straight, when Timo leaves the pits and finds himself paired with the Abruzzo driver. Jarno resists, the fight continues up to the Roggia and he smiles at the Italian. Later, however, Jarno tries again with Nakajima with a decidedly kamikaze entry that leads him to jump like a kangaroo on the curbs. Glock senses the opportunity, tries again and Jarno's resistance is of no use, as he risks a lot by ending up on the sand at 200 km/h at the first of Lesmo. In the end he finished fourteenth, three positions behind his teammate. Not the home GP he was expecting, not the race that would have allowed him to mend his relationship with Toyota, which seems to have come to an end. But we find it difficult to penalize him too much. Bored.

Timo Glock: 5,5 – Even in this case there is little to tell. Toyota suffers from fast circuits and Timo is not in a position to invent anything. Unlike his teammate, he even missed out on Q2, qualifying in sixteenth position. He then makes up for it with a decent start, but from then on his race drags wearily around twelfth position. Then, suddenly, the duel with Trulli. At first he tries coming out of the pits, and Jarno resists both the first chicane and the Roggia. Subsequently he attacks, taking advantage of the mistake of his teammate, who had tried to pass Nakajima. And from this second skirmish he emerges victorious, gaining a coveted (?) eleventh place. He has little stuff, undoubtedly. But at least he revived a tired phase of the match, without causing any damage. I don't know how much they may have liked the Toyota garage, but all in all it went well. He finishes very far from the points, making the best of a bad situation. Sufficiency is not there, however... Generous (of emotions).

Jaime Alguersuari: 5,5 – This time it doesn't do any damage at the start, and the news is already positive in itself. With great honesty, however, he admits that starting from the pitlane helped him stay out of "the mess of the first corner" (verbatim). It's already a step forward. When he manages not to torpedo anyone starting from the track, perhaps not from the last row, he will be a further achievement. Jokes aside, with a car that is slow and unstable under braking he does what he can, he occupies the last position while still maintaining a decent pace until the gearbox says enough forcing him to retire. It's a shame, not so much because of the modest result he was achieving but because accumulating km at this stage of his career is fundamental to gaining experience. In any case, considering that this is his third race in F1 we ​​would almost be tempted to give him a passing grade. We don't but we're close. Prudent.

Sebastien Buemi: 6 – Nothing to skin your hands for applause for, but an honest and fair race. The best you can expect from a Toro Rosso in Monza, in obvious difficulty on the fast Brianza circuit. He shaved 7 tenths off his teammate in qualifying, despite placing second to last, he avoided causing any damage at the start and by virtue of a wise and constant race conduct he climbed up to the thirteenth final place. With a gem: the eleventh fastest lap in the race, a sign that the Swiss also tried to go beyond the simple homework. And in fact at the finish line he manages to keep Trulli, Grosjean and Rosberg behind him, that is, a Toyota, a Renault (with KERS) and a Williams. It honestly seems difficult to be able to do more, considering that he too is in his first season in F1. He says he is moderately confident for the rest of the season, which features slower and more technical circuits. We'll see, that's fine for now. Optimistic.

Mark Webber: 5 – His race lasts the space of three corners, namely the first variant, the Grande Curva (we still like to call it that…) and the Roggia variant. Then the contact with Kubica, which sends him out of the race. It is difficult to say which of the two has the greater responsibility. However, it is easy to identify which of the two had more to lose in such a collision. Although in modern 1st lap the first lap represents the most important moment of the entire race, we will never tire of repeating that it is not in these phases that races are won. With the withdrawal in Monza the Australian, barring sensational upheavals, abandons his (few) residual hopes of fighting for the title. It's a shame, because at a certain point in the season he seemed to be heading towards the top. Clumsy.

Sebastian Vettel: 6st – He starts like this from eighth position, but the whole first stint is a nightmare. In a fearful crisis with his tyres, with grip that was more imagined than real, he was overtaken by Alonso and had to use all his ferocity to resist Fisichella on the straight before the Ascari chicane. He defends himself with a very decisive maneuver, but frankly the Italian's complaints seem excessive to us, given that similar episodes have always been seen behind the lines. Things improved slightly after the first pit stop, but he put in his best effort, finishing wide of Lesmo and being caught by Fisichella, who however was unable to mount a real attack against him. Hamilton's crash on the last lap gives him an unexpected point which is more morale-boosting than ranking. The next events will be on slower tracks and Sebastian says he is confident in the performance of his car. Of course, losing another 7 points from Button practically means ruining any remaining hopes of fighting for the title. He says he will try till the end. Commendable. Who knows if he will be able to do it without making mistakes. Sufficiency is more of an encouragement than anything else. Force!

Nico Rosberg: 5th – Interrupts the points scoring sequence in the worst possible way, with a race to forget at the end of a nightmare weekend. On the fast Italian circuit Williams suddenly stops going fast and both he and his teammate are unable to dig the classic spider out of the hole. The German also qualified behind the Japanese, but recovered with a decent start. Then he hits some debris which he says unbalances the car, to the point of making him suspect a puncture. He stops in the pits but the tires are ok. His position is a little less so: last, far behind. Just as last, very far behind, is the placing that makes up for the finish line. Just one doubt: if it's true that his car was so aerodynamically unbalanced, why did he lap faster than Nakajima at the end of the race? As for Kubica, mysteries of aerodynamics. The specter of Nico getting lost if things don't go right looms again. Let's hope it was just one episode. We'll see in Singapore - the track where last year he finished on the podium after the best race of the season - if he can recover. Out of phase.

Kazuki Nakajima: 6 – Unlike his teammate he seems to try a little more. Nothing particularly exciting, let's be clear. However, the tenth place finish, albeit an infinite distance from the points zone, given Williams' poor form is almost a positive result. After all, his tries to do so: he beats Rosberg in qualifying, starts well and resists correctly but with determination the attacks of Trulli's Toyotas first and then Glock. He has little stuff, perhaps, to deserve passing. But given that in the past they have denied it to him several times despite having come very close to it, this time we decide to be generous and grant it to him, albeit on a limited basis. He must improve his technical culture to try to come out of weekends like these in a better way, but it's also true that sometimes there's little to invent. And a decent result - without errors - can also be worth a six. But yes, come on. Promoted.

Adrian Sutil: 8,5 – Force India's state of grace also continues in Monza, and Adrian benefits from it by qualifying on the front row (with more fuel than Hamilton, moreover). At the start he gets fooled by Raikkonen, but the Finn has the Kers and moreover the German also sprints from the dirty side of the track. His match, if we want, is decided there. For all 53 laps, in fact, he follows the Ferrari like a shadow, failing to construct an overtaking maneuver but trying to put pressure on the Finn to induce him to make a mistake that never comes. In the second part of the race his car seems faster than the Red one - the fastest lap bears witness to this - but Raikkonen keeps himself afloat thanks to the Kers, preventing any attack. He could try at the pit stop, but the two stop on the same lap and what's more the German also overwhelms a mechanic, losing any chance. One point less for this. But half an extra for not throwing the Finn out, thus avoiding retaliating what happened in Monte Carlo last year. He finishes fourth, happy. Who knows if in Singapore, on a more tortuous track, Mallya's car will continue to be so competitive. But perhaps it is better for the Indian team not to think about it and enjoy the golden moment. Gentleman.

Vitantonio Liuzzi: 9,5 – If there is anyone who invents the race of his life, in Monza it is Tonio. Who hasn't been on the Force India for a long time but he instantly finds speed, automation and rhythm. However, he never lost his determination. Exceptional in qualifying - seventh with lots and lots of fuel - extraordinary in the race, when he keeps the pace very well with full tanks. His overtaking against Kovalainen, on the outside at the Parabolica, was extraordinary. Chapeau. Then the transmission locks up and stops it. Too bad, too bad, too bad. With the pace he was keeping he would have ended up close to his teammate, probably even in front. His comment was sardonic: «It's a shame, because it's the first reliability problem since the beginning of the season…». A proverb -aridaje- says «Better lucky than rich». Judging by what happened, Tonio does not belong to either category. He deserves a ten just for this. In any case, the extraordinary performance remains, demonstrating the fact that certain adaptation problems are not so insurmountable. Or not? We sincerely wish him that Force India continues to go strong in Singapore: he deserves it. Phenomenal.

Jenson Button: 8nd – BrawnGP is going strong again and he, needless to say, gets back on the podium. He suffers from his teammate throughout the weekend, both in qualifying and in the race, but from a championship perspective he's fine with this. Moreover, with the Red Bulls out of the game, he can very well afford to leave the victory to Barrichello, aware of the burden of points advantage he has carried with him since the beginning of the season. He does the job by overtaking Kovalainen in the early stages of the race, in an easy manner. He then follows Rubens at a safe distance and avoids making mistakes at the end of the race, when Hamilton's return puts some pressure on him. The one-stop strategy helps him bring home the result in an overall simple race. Even too much. He is an accountant, and the choice pays off. The show suffers a bit, but on the other hand it would have made little sense to seek victory at all costs. Or maybe not. After all, the championship is far from over: there are still four races, and if BrawnGP were to decide to leave the two drivers free, who knows - perhaps following some daring event - they might regret these two points all in all within its reach. We don't wish it on him, let's be clear. We just think. Like him, after all. Accountant.

Rubens Barrichello: 10 – For once, in front of what was his audience a few years ago, we give him top marks. After all, his conduct throughout the weekend was almost perfect. Aware that the absence of KERS penalizes them at the start, at BrawnGP they opt for a qualification with the heavy car, sacrificing their position on the grid due to one less stop in the race. And the tactic breaks the bank, especially if he is driving the car. He beats Button - pardon the pun - in qualifying despite the higher fuel load, taking fourth place. He was supposed to race on Kovalainen but he overtook him practically immediately (so much for Kers!) and followed, at a safe distance, the three hares Hamilton-Raikkonen-Kovalainen. At the end of the stops he finds himself comfortably in the lead and simply takes the car to the finish line, trying not to put too much strain on the gearbox (about which on the eve there were doubts 'related to reliability'). Saying that he will relaunch himself in the world championship is perhaps a bit much, but you never know. After all, two victories in the last three races testify to an excellent state of form, and if in one of the next four races he were to rain... who knows. We will see.

Manuel Codignoni
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