Italian GP Preview

Alonso takes popular win for Ferrari in 2010

F1 heads to the home of Ferrari when it hits Monza in Italy for what promises to be one of the most thrilling races of the year.

There’s probably only one person in the world who would say that Sebastian Vettel’s second consecutive Formula One World Championship isn’t done and dusted, and that’s Vettel himself. The German has said that he’s not assuming anything, this despite is 92-point lead over next-best Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.

With that in mind, Vettel will be wanting to drive home the dominance he’s shown throughout the year when the Formula One circus heads to the Monza circuit in Italy this weekend. He's won here before, too, albeit back in his Toro Rosso days. The track, steeped in history, has got two DRS zones and is renowned for its long straights and high speeds – 75% of the lap is spent at full throttle – so we can expect a real thriller.

Overtaking will be key on the straights and you can rest assured that while Vettel will be working to assert his supremacy, there are plenty of drivers who will want to take it from him, not least of whom is last year's Italian Grand Prix winner, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Alonso is currently third in the title race 102 points behind the young German and there would be no better place for him to snatch a victory than at his team’s home race.

Of course McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton will have plans of his own when it comes to putting a stop to Vettel. On top of that, the Briton has a point to prove after recently coming under fire for his driving style and a few incidents it has led to over the past few races. Hamilton says he’s not too aggressive and that he has no plans to alter his approach.

Of course one can’t forget the reigning champ’s teammate, Webber, who reckons Red Bull’s strong showing at Spa in Belgium bodes well for the Italian Grand Prix. Of the 15 most successful teams in Formula One history, all except one have won at the historic Monza track – Red Bull. Will that change this weekend? Only one thing’s for certain, and that’s that you can look forward to one hell of a cracker!

ITALIAN GRAND PRIX STATISTICS & INFO
FIA Formula One World Championship
Round 11 – Monza 11 September 2011

53 Laps of 5.793km – 306.720km
Lap Record: Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:21.046 (2004)

Schedule:
Friday 9 September
Practice 1 10:00 CAT
Practice 2 14:00 CAT
Saturday 10 September
Practice 3 11:00 CAT
Qualifying 14:00 CAT
Sunday 11 September
Race 14:00 CAT

Recent Winners
2001 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams-BMW
2002 Ruben Barrichello Ferrari
2003 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2004 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari
2005 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes
2006 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2007 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes
2008 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari
2009 Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes
2010 Fernando Alonso Ferrari

Fastest Lap: Alonso – 1:24.139
Pole Position: Alonso – 1:21.962