Lewis Hamilton’s Italian Grand Prix disaster throws title race wide open; Alonso, Button back in the game
Lewis Hamilton’s disastrous Italian Grand Prix campaign has ensured that the run for the 2010 Championship Trophy has become a five-horse race once more. Just when it seemed the drivers’ title was most likely to be clinched by
either Mark Webber or Lewis Hamilton after Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button all left the Belgian Grand Prix empty handed, matters took a drastic turn in Italy.
Fresh from his Belgian Grand Prix triumph, Lewis Hamilton made a costly mistake in the early stages of the Monza race, failing to consolidate his championship lead. In fact, the McLaren driver had to relinquish the top spot to
Red Bull’s Mark Webber. This is not to say Webber had a satisfying run on the Monza tracks that race weekend. The Australian started the race from the fourth spot on the grid, but his position plummeted to the lower end of the top ten thanks to an atrocious
start. Although he eventually managed to salvage a few points from the race after finishing 6th, Webber was clearly displeased at not having capitalized more on Hamilton’s unexpected error.
So although Webber and Hamilton still retain the top spots in the championship standings despite failing to shine in Italy, their lacklustre campaigns left the door open for the other three title contenders to revitalize their
title hopes. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso not only gave Ferrari a sensational victory on home soil in the company of revering fans, but also put himself firmly back in the title hunt after managing to pip McLaren’s Jenson Button for the first position.
Even though he failed to take the Monza trophy, McLaren’s Jenson Button had every reason to be pleased with his second-place podium finish after leading the field for much of Sunday afternoon. Button will no doubt finally be able
to bury the ghosts of an unfortunate Belgian Grand Prix campaign, where the English driver was forced to retire after falling afoul to Sebastian Vettel’s error prone driving. What looked like a promising Sunday afternoon for Button at the Spa-Francorchamps
circuit soon turned into a nightmare when the German driver’s RB6 came bumping into Button’s MP4.
However, the 2010 trophy is once more in sight for Jenson Button, thanks to a fruitful Italian campaign and indeed, his team mate’s costly mistake. The Englishman is currently 4th in the championship standings, only
a single point behind Alonso.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel has also recovered from the Belgian blow. The German came under much fire for ruining Button’s race, with McLaren boss, Martin Whitmarsh, branding the young Red Bull star as a “crash kid”. Vettel, meanwhile,
put on a brave and somewhat stubborn face to the criticism that came flying his way, remarking that mistakes were an inescapable aspect of the learning process. Red Bull boss Christian Horner also came to his flawed driver’s defence, blaming Button for the
episode instead. The wider Formula One community, meanwhile, failed to buy into Horner’s unique world view for obvious reasons.
Like both Button and Alonso, Vettel too revived his title hopes in Italy after grabbing the 4th spot from the 6th place on the starting grid. Although his teammate appeared highly displeased with the Austrian
team’s performance in Italy, team boss Horner lauded his drivers’ performance on a track that was deemed to be the RB6’s weakest point. Horner praised Mark Webber’s run, saying that a 4thand 6th finish in Monza was much more than what
Red Bull had hoped for in Italy, keeping in view the RB6’s distinct lack of pace on straights which the track in Italy harbours in abundance.
How affairs were drastically altered within the course of a single Grand Prix is testament to the sheer unpredictability and competitiveness of modern day Formula One. The Formula One community will no doubt be wary of coming to
premature conclusions as to who will lift the coveted 2010 Drivers’ Trophy in coming times. Pundits are well aware the title winner may only become known at the conclusion of the season’s ultimate campaign in Abu Dhabi this November.
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