2010 SANTANDER ITALIAN Grand Prix preview

Jenson Button

“Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn’t ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title.

“Our pace over the whole weekend in Belgium was extremely encouraging – we’re developing the car at a very rapid rate, and we’re learning more about it all the time, so I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to maintain that form in Italy next weekend.

“We still have some work to do to make sure the package we bring to Italy is perfectly suited to the track, but I’m confident that our engineers have made some good steps forward with their understanding of our car, so we should be in good shape.

“I love racing at Monza – it’s a totally unique experience; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff. Given the competitiveness at the front of the field, this could be an intense, thrilling grand prix.”

Lewis Hamilton

“Our victory in Belgium showed that, as a team, we never give up, and that we’ll always bounce back from adversity feeling stronger and more determined than before. This team has such an incredible fighting spirit – we strive to win, and I hope that Spa is only the start of a run of stronger form for us as we head into the final races of the championship.

“I’ve made no secret of my wish to win this race. Monza is an incredible circuit – full of history and stories from the past. It has a special feeling in the air that you don’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s a circuit that inspires you to race at your limit, and I’ll be pushing hard all weekend.

“Finally, I’m looking forward to meeting the Italian fans this weekend. I pretty much grew up racing karts in Italy, so I’ve always appreciated and understood the passion and support of the fans for Formula 1, and motorsport in general.

“Even if it’s not always obvious, I know that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes does have a deep pocket of support in Italy. So I hope the whole team can have another great race at one of the classic tracks in Formula 1.”

Martin Whitmarsh

Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Even though, on paper, the Monza circuit’s characteristics appear to suit our package, developing a car that performs well on one of the most unique venues on the Formula 1 calendar is no easy job.

“The low-downforce, extreme high-speed nature of Monza demands its own bespoke aero package – and getting that downforce level correct is not as straightforward as it seems. We require a complex number of mechanical and aerodynamic variables to work harmoniously if we are to provide both Jenson and Lewis with front-running machinery this weekend.

“Obviously, Lewis’s victory at Spa was perfectly timed, and has substantially motivated the entire workforce ahead of these closing races. After Jenson’s unfortunate failure to finish in Belgium, we are determined to reignite his championship push next weekend to get him back into the hunt for the drivers’ title.

“It’s no secret that there’s a tremendous amount of fight in this team – and I’m proud of every single person’s efforts to provide us with a winning edge. We know how to win races and world championships, and, clearly, we will once again be pushing for victory this weekend.”

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix^TM

^{Race Track Revealed!}

In my opinion, Sebastian is really pushing too hard...beyond his skill level really.  This crash should never have happened.  It really reminded me of the reckless crash that Vettel instigated in Turkey where he speared and took himself and his team mate out of the race...just dumb.  This really hurts Jenson Button chances...probably cost JB a sure second place finish.  Lewis summed it up this way:  

“I feel really sorry for Jenson, though. He did a great job. I got around Turn One, looked in my mirrors, saw him picking up places, and thought, ‘That’s good, that’s good.’ Then he got up to second, and I thought, ‘That’s fantastic – another opportunity for a one-two.’ Then, cruelly, he was taken out through no fault of his own – which was really unfortunate for him, and for the team, because he did everything he could to get us the most points in the constructors’ championship today. But he’ll bounce back even stronger. "

JB was not happy either, according to him "as everyone knows, I had an incident with Sebastian [Vettel]. I certainly didn’t brake any earlier than usual. All I know is I suddenly felt a big bang in the sidepod, which ripped the radiator out, and then I lost drive. I’ve watched it on TV now, and I’d say it was a very strange incident. Clearly, he didn’t do it on purpose, and I gather he’s now apologised, but I have to say I’ve got no idea what he was doing. It’s a massive blow to my world championship hopes."

I am not sure what can be done about Vettel as much of the pit wall were questioning his maturity after the most recent brainfart adds tio his resume of reckless crashed and bad decisions this year, he obviously need to take a deep breath.

Lewis Hamilton took control of the Belgium GP from the beginning of Sundays race, and after a masterful drive, under constantly changing conditions crossed the finish line in first place.  Lewis recapped his performance after the race;

 “At the start, I was able to pace myself and maintain the gap – every time the cars behind increased their pace, I was able to answer. Then, when the conditions changed, I had a wide moment at Turn Eight – and I was on the edge of my seat! Fortunately, I got out of it, took a step back, regained my focus, and took control again. I was so relieved to cross the line at the end of the race – it was an overwhelming feeling!" 

Mark Webber was able to overtake Robert Kubica in the pits after Robert over shot his stall creating a very slow pit stop for RenaultF1.  Webber was able to maintain second place and Kubica took third.

Team RedBull had this to say about the afternoon: Webber began in pole position, but a poor start left him sixth by the first corner. However, he battled hard through typically Spa dry and wet spells to finish second behind Hamilton.  Mark said: “The start was a mess, but fortunately I was able to overtake a few guys and get some of the positions back. It was a good day for me, but unfortunate for the team that we didn’t get more points.”

Sebastian had a less than successful afternoon; his troubles began with a collision with Jenson Button as he went to overtake the McLaren driver on lap 15. The result? A new nose for Sebastian plus a drive-through penalty and a resulting drop down the order. “What happened, happened.” said Seb. “We can’t change it now. Obviously I’m not proud of it, I lost the car going over the bump as I was braking and unfortunately hit Jenson, so he couldn’t continue – I’m sorry for him.”