FORMULA ONE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX:FERNANDO ALONSO put himself back into Formula One championship contention with victory at the Italian Grand Prix yesterday, but it was Mark Webber who profited most, the Australian driver regaining the title lead as major title rival Lewis Hamilton made an early exit at Monza.
Alonso set up the victory on Saturday by claiming a crowd-pleasing pole position but at race start the Ferrari driver was beaten to the punch, second-placed Jenson Button slipping past the Spaniard into turn one. Alonso fought back, pressing hard into the Variante Della Roggia chicane but, as he and Button tussled, it was the chasing Hamilton who came off worst.
Seeing third-placed Felipe Massa go wide, the McLaren driver attempted to pass on the inside. Hamilton’s front right tangled with Massa’s rear left and, while the Ferrari driver carried on, Hamilton’s suspension snapped. “It was clearly a mistake by myself, one of those things that happens when you’re racing and you’re pushing hard,” Hamilton said.
The exit meant with Webber still on track in ninth, Hamilton’s title lead was under threat and the McLaren driver admitted the error could prove costly. “It’s not over, but it’s days like this, and mistakes like I made today, that lose you world championships,” he said.
Webber still had plenty of work to do any damage to Hamilton’s challenge. Having made a poor start from fourth, the Red Bull Racing driver had dropped back and was struggling to get past Michael Schumacher. After eventually making his way past the Mercedes driver he faced the daunting prospect of passing team-mate Sebastian Vettel. But when the German developed an engine problem mid-way through the drivers’ first stint, Webber swept past to chase down Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg. But while passing Vettel had been made easy, the Williams man set about frustrating Webber for 27 laps.
Webber pressured the young German into a number of mistakes, several times forcing him to cut the chicanes, but while the Australian protested loudly over the radio that Hulkenberg should be penalised for gaining an advantage, no sanction came from the stewards. The Red Bull driver was left to do it on his own and finally on lap 48 the opportunity came, Webber pushing hard to make Hulkenberg err into the first chicane and then using greater pace to finally muscle past at the Varainte Della Roggia.
However, despite claiming sixth place, which moves him five points clear of Hamilton in the drivers’ standings, Webber was unhappy. “We underperformed as a team today,” he said. “We could have capitalised and got more points, but we sniffed around just getting a few. It’s a bit disappointing.”
It was a lot better for Alonso. Having been passed by Button at the start, the Ferrari driver hung on to the McLaren’s coat-tails throughout the first stint, running consistently quicker but being unable to find a way past in the turbulent wake of Button’s car. The job was eventually done in the pits, Alonso making a lightning quick stop for tyres and emerging alongside Button, who had stopped a lap earlier. The pair duelled and feinted on the short run to the Rettifilo chicane but it was Alonso who emerged with his nose in front. From there he didn’t look back, leaving Button trailing, with Massa taking the final podium spot.
