After what could be described as a solid if not spectacular race for the Williams F1 team they would see team driver Bruno Senna secure a 10th place finish earning the team a single point. Team-mate Pastor Maldonado wuld finish in 11th.
Italian GP Race Review
The grid for the
2012 Italian Grand Prix would see Williams F1 drivers Pastor Maldonado and
Bruno Senna start from twenty second and thirteenth. Pastor had qualified
twelfth but suffered a ten place grid penalty seeing him drop down the
order. Given their grid positions the fifty three lap race is going to be a
difficult time where strategy is going to play a major role. Pirelli had
brought the medium and hard tyre with the top ten all starting on the softer
tyre. Given the durability of the tyres there was the view that a one stop
strategy was possible, On pole was Hamilton with team-mate Button second.
Third was Massa followed by Schumacher, Vettel, Rosberg, Raikkonen,
Kobayashi, Di Resta and Alonso in tenth. There would be two DRS zones for
the race one on the start-finish straight and the other on the back
straight. Bruno was on the softer medium tyre while Pastor would start on
the hard tyre.
The grid would move out on the parade lap and would return with Hamilton
took his place on pole. The grid would form up and the lights would go out
and it would be Hamilton leading with Massa trying to pass at the first
chicane. All quite at the first chicane with Button attacking Massa.
Schumacher was fourth from Vettel and Raikkonen. Webber was in fourteenth
while for Williams Bruno was in eleventh. Pastor was now nineteenth as
Hamilton finished lap one. Alonso would pass Raikkonen at the first chicane
now running sixth. Bruno was now tenth behind Di Resta. Bruno had made up
three places as on lap two Hamilton was leading by 1.4 seconds with Massa
still second. Button was now 1.0 seconds behind the Ferrari while Bruno was
just 0.3 behind Di Resta.
Lap three and Hamilton's lead
was 2.1 seconds as Vettel passed Schumacher for fourth. Bruno had lost a
place and was now eleventh behind Perez. Alonso was attacking Schumacher for
fifth as Bruno dropped another place this time to Rosberg. He was now twelfth and Pastor continued in nineteenth. Replays
showed that Bruno and Rosberg had made contact at the first chicane as Bruno
tried to keep Rosberg behind. Bruno was in eleventh while Rosberg felt that
Bruno should have let him past. Rosberg would be passed by Webber for
twelfth while at the front Alonso would pass Schumacher at the first chicane
for fifth. Bruno was again right behind Di Resta while at the front Hamilton
was leading by 2.8 seconds after lap seven. Button was 2.0 seconds behind
Massa with Vettel right behind the McLaren. Pastor would pass Kovalainen for
eighteenth and was now right behind Hulkenberg who had started last and was
now running seventeenth. Bruno would have another moment at the second
chicane as he was pushed wide by Di Resta.
Vergne would stop at the first chicane after a failure that saw his car fly
though the air before coming to a stop. He would retire with his car lifted
away. Webber had passed Bruno for eleventh as Bruno recovered from his
contact with Di Resta. Bruno wa snow twelfth and closing in onto Webber. But
Webber would pass Di Resta for tenth. Bruno
was now right behind Di Resta with some cars showing signs of rear
degradation. Lap eleven and Hamilton was leading by 3.7 seconds over Massa.
Pastor was now seventeenth as a result of Vergne's retirement. Button was
third from Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Perez, Kobayashi, and
Webber tenth. But Webber was now eighteen seconds behind the leader. Pastor
would pit on lap fourteen back out on the medium tyres. Rosberg would pit
the next lap taking on the hard tyre. Schumacher would pit on lap sixteen
also taking the hard tyre coming back out in fifteenth. Perez would pass
Raikkonen for sixth and on lap eighteen Raikkonen would pit taking the hard
tyre.
Button would pass Massa for
second going into the second chicane seeing Massa pit taking on the hard
tyre. Button was told to push as on lap twenty one Vettel and Alonso would
both pit. Vettel and Alonso would run side by side going down the pit lane
but Vettel would come out first. Lap twenty two and Webber and Di Resta both
pitted with Webber coming in from third and Di Resta seventh. Lap twenty
three and Button would pit from second seeing Perez take this spot with
Bruno third. Massa would pass Bruno followed shortly after by Vettel. Alonso
would also get past Bruno with Bruno yet to pit. Hamilton would pit from lap
twenty four taking on the hard tyre with Bruno having dropped to seventh.
Pastor was still in seventeenth while Bruno was now under attack by
Ricciardo. But both Bruno and Ricciardo would pit on lap twenty five as
Alonso went fastest with a 1m:29.378. Perez was now leading from Hamilton,
Button, Massa, Vettel, Schumacher, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, and Rosberg.
Alonso was attacking Vettel and would take to the grass as he tried to run
past Vettel. Alonso felt that he was run wide and was not happy about it.
Bruno had dropped to seventeenth and was running behind Ricciardo. Lap
twenty eight and Hulkenberg would pit from tenth. The Sauber team still had
yet to pit Perez and were looking to bring him back out in front of someone
down the order. Hamilton would pass Perez while Alonso would pass Vettel at
the second chicane. Perez would pit on lap thirty taking on the medium tyre
as the stewards were investigating the incident between Vettel and Alonso. Pastor was now up to thirteenth and Bruno
fifteenth as Perez rejoined in eighth. Bruno had lost out during the pit
stops with Pastor and Bruno on different strategies. At the front Hamilton
was leading Button by 7.2 seconds with Massa third from Alonso, Vettel,
Schumacher, Raikkonen, Perez, Rosberg, and Webber tenth. It was announced
that Vettel had forced Alonso off the track seeing him receive a drive
through penalty.
For Button his race would end as
he was forced to pull off the side of the track seeing Massa now second and
Alonso third. Button had reported that he had no drive while on lap thirty
five Vettel would take his drive through penalty. Vettel would come out
behind Webber in ninth. Schumacher was fourth followed by Raikkonen, Perez,
Rosberg, and Webber eighth. Perez would try to pass Raikkonen but the Lotus
driver was able to respond and retake Perez. Pastor would pit taking on a
second set of medium tyres. Perez would finally pass Raikkonen for fifth as
on lap thirty eight Schumacher would pit again while Rosberg would pass
Raikkonen for fifth. Rosberg would also pit on lap thirty nine while Perez
was flying in fourth. Alonso was right behind Massa looking most likely to
pass shortly. Alonso would pass Massa at the first chicane with Massa now
third.
Bruno was now twelfth and Pastor fifteenth with thirteen laps remaining.
Perez had closed the gap to Massa to just 4.2 seconds and the next lap it
was 2.5 seconds. Webber was told that Vettel had a car problem that may see
him stop suddenly. Vettel was in sixth and Webber seventh. On the run down
the back straight Perez would pass Massa for third and then have his sights
set on Alonso. Bruno was still in thirteenth 2.2 seconds behind Ricciardo
while Schumacher and Rosberg were in tenth and eleventh. Lap forty four and
Perez was only 1.2 seconds behind Alonso. Perez would close in onto Alonso
and would pass the Ferrari going into the Ascari chicane. Hamilton was told
that it was now Perez behind him and that he should up his pace. Rosberg
would pass Kobayashi for tenth while at the front Hamilton was 10.5 seconds
ahead of Perez.
Vettel's car problem would
happen and he would stop on the side of the track near the first chicane
after been told to stop the car to save the engine, seeing Webber up to
sixth. Schumacher was in seventh and would pass Webber for sixth going into
the second chicane. Lap forty eight nine and Perez was 8.4 seconds behind
Hamilton. Alonso was third with Massa fourth from Raikkonen, Schumacher,
Webber, Di Resta, Rosberg, and Kobayashi in tenth. Rosberg would pass Di
Resta as Webber told to the grass at the Ascari chicane. He had spun after
taking too much kerb. Bruno was now twelfth and Bruno thirteenth while
Webber would recover to be tenth. Hulkenberg would retire in his pit. Webber
would slow on the track returning to his pit to retire complaining of
massive flat spots on his tyres. At the front Hamilton had Perez covered as
Hamilton started his final lap. As a result of Webber's issue Bruno was
now eleventh and Pastor twelfth.
Hamilton would complete his lap to take victory in the 2012 Italian Grand
Prix. Perez was a fantastic second from Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen,
Schumacher, Rosberg, Fi Resta, Kobayashi, and on the final lap Bruno was
able to take tenth for a single point. Pastor would finish in eleventh also
getting past Ricciardo in the final sector on the last lap. A solid if not spectacular drive from both Williams drivers with
Bruno at least securing a single point for his efforts.
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment.
We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals.
We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards.
If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing
abuse@sportnetwork.net