Formula One: Italian Grand Prix – 1 race, 24 different reactions! (Part 1)
While Formula One acts as a unifying sport with healthy competition, it is still worth it to understand the constituting drivers behind the wheel for their uniqueness. Here is a taste of subjectivity from the front men of all 12 teams!
Ferrari
Fernando Alonso was arguably the happiest man this weekend. Winning at Monza in a Ferrari is something special. The last Ferrari to win at Italy was under the control of Michael Schumacher, when he took Pole in 2004. Alonso, despite being from Spanish origin
deemed it in the league of putting up a winning show in front of his native crowd in Barcelona in 2006. The Spaniard was modest enough to admit that on the day, the race victory went to the mechanic and strategists. Alonso was able to gain a tenth of a second
courtesy the ‘super’ pit and snatch the race lead from McLaren. The Spanish driver calmly played the hype down for the next Grand Prix at Singapore, as the team also has its sights set for 2011 and expecting progressive improvement bearing in mind the limitations
posed by the regulations this year might be a lot to keep up to. He further admitted that the Italian team could not afford a mistake from here on and concluded that performance at Monza was a “good step forward.”
Felipe Massa recognized Monza as a very good ‘team’ outing. The two Ferraris were able to put up an aggregate 40 points in the constructor’s standings for Ferrari – The perfect gift to a patient yet expectant crowd. The Brazilian was content being behind
the McLaren, as he believed that it was nothing short of a miracle that his car wasn’t damaged after the incident at the first chicane – A collision that broke Hamilton’s suspension and prematurely ended his race. Massa reflected that the pit stop wasn’t as
smooth as it could have been, which might have been the reason behind a missed out 2nd place and an effective Ferrari 1-2. However, it was good to be at the podium – A welcome change!
McLaren Mercedes
Jenson Button felt that it was rather tough for the driver’s nerves as it was a handful holding off the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and then Massa during the 53 lap race. Spending the first half of the race constantly looking in the mirrors to cater the threat
of a pumped up Alonso was energy sapping. The British driver conceded that he was oblivious to the fact that he had a blown diffuser after contact with another car at Monza’s killer first chicane. Perhaps the down force setup complimented for that, as he felt
the car quite decent on the straights, though a little wobbly on the corners which involved every bit of concentration he could muster to avoid a mistake. The Briton suggested that it might have been the wrong time to bring the car into the pits before Fernando
Alonso. He revealed that the team believed that the new Prime tyres would quicken the ageing Options but as it turned out, he couldn’t find any grip on the new tyres and lost a little bit of time thus. It was very disappointing seeing the Ferrari emerge just
before him after making its pit stop – Was it the McLaren pit crew’s doing that lost their only remaining driver 7 points? The Briton admitted that the McLaren didn’t quite have the pace to win this weekend and was reasonably content with a solid second and
well earned 18 points that greatly aided his title charge.
Lewis Hamilton, unlike Fernando Alonso, might have been the most hard-done driver this Sunday. The Briton made a good start, gaining a position but believed that he was rather hasty and should have gone with the one in hand than the potential two in bush.
The 2007 champion after the collision with Felipe Massa had to kiss his race goodbye. Hamilton later apologized to his team and was happy that Button was able to restore some pride for the British based team. The McLaren driver looks all set for Singapore
and promised to make a better fight of it in 2 weeks time.
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