FORMULA 1 - 2012

[MIKA27]

F1 must not axe standing-starts - Alonso

Fernando Alonso has rejected claims F1 should consider abandoning its standing-starts in the wake of last Sunday's Belgian grand prix.

The Spaniard was lucky to escape serious injury when the now-banned Romain Grosjean's Lotus flew dangerously close to Alonso's exposed cockpit opening.

The incident has triggered renewed calls for F1 to ramp up the cars' head protection, while some have even suggested the sport might follow Indy's lead by getting its races up and running with a rolling start.

"The start is part of the charm of the competition (in F1)," Alonso is quoted as saying by the Spanish news agency EFE.

"I find the chase to the first corner good, where you are calculating risk and making decisions very quickly. Together with the team, a lot of preparation is put into the starts.

"It's too important a part of F1 to lose," insisted Alonso.

The former two-time world champion also baulked at recent moves to further slow the cars, because F1 single seaters "should be the fastest".

"I am surprised and upset about some of the proposed changes in the future, like electric cars etcetera," Alonso admitted.

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LEWIS HAMILTON & MERCEDES:

The BBC's Eddie Jordan has broken a story today that Michael Schumacher is set to retire from driving at the end of this season and that Lewis Hamilton is shaping up to replace him.

It was clear from the "Tweetgate" incident that Hamilton and McLaren were not on the same page last weekend, with the driver making public a telemetry set up sheet, to the disappointment of his team mate and team boss, who described it as "an error of judgement".

Hamilton is said by Jordan to be discussing terms with Mercedes, via his management team led by music impresario Simon Fuller, which doesn't necessarily mean it will happen; it could be an extreme negotiating tactic to bring McLaren and its sponsors to the table with an improved offer. Mercedes has always been Hamilton's only real bargaining chip when trying to scare McLaren into paying him more money.

But have they had enough of him and are they willing to let him go? That is one of the key questions here, especially after the weekend.

I have to admit I heard a whisper about this on Monday, but didn't have any more evidence than a word from an insider, who seemed to have an insight. But this site doesn't really deal in rumour, unless it is opened up to public debate as this one has now been.

"I believe Hamilton and Mercedes have already agreed personal terms and a deal could be imminent," Jordan said on the BBC Sport website this afternoon.

A McLaren spokesman commented this evening, "We have been told by Lewis Hamilton's management team that the story is untrue."

This is different from McLaren saying that the story is untrue. The nuance between the two is to be noted.

If Hamilton pulls the trigger and leaves the team that raised him as a driver and brought him into F1, it looks as though Force India's Paul Di Resta is at the front of the queue to replace him.

And what of Schumacher's role in all of this? The seven times champion has been saying that he will not decide his future until October and if this Hamilton development turns out to be true he will not be pleased that his retirement has been anticipated in this way.

Could there be an ongoing role for Schumacher in the management team at Mercedes or AMG, if that is the brand they choose to run it under? The team which has been assembled around Ross Brawn is interesting in that it features a number of "chiefs" in all the technical areas; design, technical management, research and development and operations. It is a set up that doesn't necessarily need Brawn to run it in the future, if he sees his own retirement in prospect at some point in the next year or two.

So a role for Schumacher in the management of the team might be the next step. It's hard to see him moving to Brackley, so the role would not be as hands-on as Brawn has been, but it gives him an ongoing role and a reason to get up in the mornings.

Maybe this is what Bernie Ecclestone meant at the weekend when he said it was sad to lose Schumacher as a driver without him winning a race on his comeback.

Mercedes has had an up-and-down season, indeed the last few years have not met expectations, so if Hamilton does make this move, on the face of it, he is taking a gamble.

But Brawn is on the record as saying that he is confident that the team he has assembled will come good next season, that is what they have been building towards, so they may be about to deliver a car to bear comparison with the 2009 car from that group, which bore Brawn's name.

More is bound to emerge over the Monza weekend and as Ferrari is not set to make any driver announcements, this story will be at the centre of attention in the F1 paddock.

MIKA: I think EJ is full of Shize...

EJ is very much like Niki Lauder in that they like to speculate and hope one or the other guess becomes true. I take this news with a grain of salt.

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JAMES KEY CONFIRMED AS TORO ROSSOS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR:

James Key, who left Sauber at the start of the 2012 season, has been confirmed as the new technical director of Toro Rosso. This story has been around for a long time, we trailed it well over a month ago, (full story here) but it’s finally been confirmed today officially.

The Englishman, who came up through the ranks at Jordan/Midland/Spyker/Force India has a proven track record of getting plenty of performance on a tight budget. He is credited with turning Sauber around from the team which struggled after the departure of BMW in 2009, to the team which has a front running car today, qualifying 2nd and 4th in Spa.

“James comes to us with a strong reputation and has proved he can help smaller teams punch above their weight,” said Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost. “We cannot expect miracles in the next few races, but James has joined early enough to have an influence on our car for 2013, when we hope to have a better season than this one, even if last weekend’s result in Belgium, with both cars in the points, was encouraging.”

The 40 year old Key replaces veteran Giorgio Ascanelli, who is heading either for Ferrari, or possibly Mercedes, according to the grapevine. Key began work in Faenza on Monday.

“There are clear opportunities coming up through regulation changes and we intend to look not only at the long term, but the short term too,” said Key. “We will be studying the team’s working practices, throughout all the departments, while looking to see which areas need strengthening further. Our aim has to be to move the team up a level in terms of its position within the F1 hierarchy.”

Key was able to make a difference quickly when he parachuted into Sauber in 2010 and Toro Rosso hope that he will be able to do the same again for them.

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MERCEDES: WE WANT TO BE A TEAM EVERY DRIVER WANTS TO DRIVE FOR:

Lewis Hamilton faced the media today, 24 hours after BBC’s Eddie Jordan launched the story about him moving to Mercedes. So too did Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn, who said that he wants Mercedes to be a team every driver would want to drive for.

Hamilton denied that a deal was done with Mercedes, but did not say he wasn’t talking to them. He also said he didn’t know where he would be driving next season.

Mercedes did not deny that they were negotiating with Hamilton, but said that they wouldn’t comment. McLaren say only that Hamilton’s management have told them it’s not true, while Hamilton himself says that he is in “advanced talks with McLaren” and that money is not what interests him; “I just want to win” he said.

It seems that in recent weeks the talks with McLaren had stalled somewhat over money and terms and in the lull, Mercedes opened a serious dialogue with Hamilton. That’s where it is.

The door is still open for McLaren to come back and seal a deal with Hamilton, which many F1 insiders believe will be the outcome, while Mercedes has clearly put an offer to him, is serious about it and Hamilton is “in a good position”, as he puts it.

Although it seems things aren’t quite as advanced as Jordan’s story suggested, it would be a great mistake to say that there’s nothing to the story. Clearly Hamilton has an option, albeit one which comes with some uncertainty about competitiveness give the Brackley based team’s competitiveness.

There could be other commercial interests involved, sponsors who might back a Hamilton presence at Mercedes but who are conflicted with existing McLaren sponsors, for example.

The key question is, in whose interests is it that Jordan put the story out? Nothing like this happens in F1 without a reason. It could help Hamilton to negotiate, by creating a sense of loss for McLaren, but it doesn’t seem to have been his camp that leaked it. It’s certainly not in McLaren’s interests, on the face of it, while it gives Mercedes a chance to see what life might be like with Hamilton attached.

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal said, “We never comment on speculation. When we make our driver decision you’ll be the first to hear about it.

“Lewis is a very good driver. We want to be a team that every driver wants to drive for. We’ve got a tremendous history to live up to, we’ve not there yet. But the plan we have in place, particularly with the changes in regulations in the next couple of years.”

And where does this leave Schumacher? Perhaps he has to wait and see what Mercedes come to him with once this process has been gone through.

Mercedes are ahead of schedule on the 2014 engines, a new technology that interests Brawn, who says that he wants to steer the team through the transition to the new rules and has no plans to retire.

The customer teams, including McLaren, expect to get the details of the new 2014 engine, its length, height, weight and installation details around April next year so that they can start the design of the 2014 cars.

Although the chassis department of Mercedes knows that information already, customer teams do not feel that the works team will have any significant advantage, as April is early enough for customers to be able to get an optimised design around the new unit.

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Domenicali: Title is in our hands

Stefano Domenicali reckons the Championship is Ferrari's to win or to lose as despite his Belgian woes, Fernando Alonso still holds the lead.

Arriving at Monza for his team's home grand prix, Alonso is leading the standings by 24 points over Sebastian Vettel while Mark Webber is a further eight off the pace.

It could have been a very different story, though, had the Spaniard not been taken out of last Sunday's Belgian GP at the first corner.

However, Domenicali is at least drawing some comfort from the fact that his lead driver escaped serious injury in the crash.

"Naturally, there was disappointment from a sporting point of view, because the final result could have been totally different," said the Ferrari team boss.

"I believe that, seeing how the race developed, we could have collected some very important points for the Championship.

"The relief comes from the fact that there could have been a very serious injury for Fernando, but he is fine, no problem at all.

"He came back with us on the charter flight to Maranello and on Monday, he was fine, without pain and already totally focused on the next race."

That race is Monza where Domenicali says Ferrari need to up their game if they hope to stay ahead of the chasing pack in the standings.

"We left Belgium with the awareness that the Championship is still in our hands," he said.

"It is in the hands of all the people at Maranello, who have to improve our car, because it is not yet at the level it should be.

"The competition is still very open and Fernando is still leading the Championship and that is the basis on which we can look ahead."

He added: "There is a special feeling for our home race, but the reality is that the number of points on offer are the same as at the other 19 rounds, all around the world.

"To sum it up, I would like to think we can leave Monza having scored very special points at what is a very special race for us."

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Kimi: Accidents happen

Kimi Raikkonen believes accidents at the start of grands prix are par for the course.

The Lotus driver's team-mate Romain Grosjean will miss this weekend's Italian Grand Prix after being slapped with a one-race ban for causing an accident at last Sunday's Belgian GP.

The ban has been billed by some as a lesson to all, however, Raikkonen believes crashes, especially as the start of races, are always going to happen.

"Accidents happen, that is part of the sport," he told Autosport.

"Sometimes they could be avoided, but it is nothing you can change.

"Things can go wrong even if you don't go aggressively or (if you) try to avoid it."

The Finn added that the problem is compounded by the difficulty in overtaking in Formula One, meaning everyone is scrapping for track position at the start.

"People try to improve their position at the start because it is the easiest place to overtake people.

"Unfortunately in the races it is difficult to get past so if you can get a place at the start then it will make your life easier."

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Massa remains hopeful

Felipe Massa is confident he has the 'possibility' of renewing his Ferrari contract for a further season or two.

The under-fire Brazilian has bagged just 35 points this season compared to his team-mate Fernando Alonso's 164.

As such Massa has proven to be almost no help in Ferrari's quest for the title double, which team boss Stefano Domenicali has stressed he needs to contribute to if he wants to re-sign.

Massa, an 11-time grand prix winner, remains hopeful that he can do just that.

"For sure I expect to be in a different position in the Championship [to the one] like I am," said the 31-year-old.

"But I just concentrate on my job which is driving the car, driving the quickest speed I can.

"I am frustrated with my qualifying, not with my races, and I'm sure improving a bit my qualifying I can be very strong in the race and change completely the results.

"As I said, I didn't sign anything for next year yet but I think we have the possibilities to sign [with Ferrari] and let's wait and see.

"I don't know when but we just need to concentrate on the result of the race. I think that's the main important thing for my future as well."

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg flattered by Ferrari link

Nico Hulkenberg says he would have no problem partnering Fernando Alonso as he is a "good benchmark."

Having outshone his team-mate Paul di Resta in recent races, Hulkenberg has been linked to Felipe Massa's race-seat at Ferrari.

Asked if he was flatted by the link, the 25-year-old said: "Yeah, it's good. It's positive press if you are linked to a team like that because it means you've done something right.

"The attraction is I want to be winning races at some point, and I'm pretty sure every driver on the grid in Formula One wants it.

"That is our motivation, where you look. You look at your options and you make a decision."

As for the prospect of partnering - and playing second fiddle to - Alonso, the German said: "We all agree he is one of the best drivers at the moment, maybe of all time.

"So if I am to fight against him, he is a good benchmark, a good measurement because you pretty much know how good you are when you drive alongside him.

"He is someone I could learn from, like with Rubens (Barrichello) when I was at Williams in 2010. That was a good experience.

"An experienced driver as a team-mate is always positive."

However, for now the Force India driver's future is still up in the air although he's "confident" he will still be in Formula One next season.

"I'm confident I'll be racing in Formula One, but there is no deadline or date for me to make a decision.

"There is so much speculation going on. Every day there is a new rumour so there is no point commenting on them.

"Right now I'm committed to Force India at the moment. There are eight races to go, which is still a hell of a long way.

"For now we have to focus on the race weekend and achieve another performance like on Sunday in Spa."

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Button expects Hamilton to remain team-mate

Jenson Button is sure he will have the same team-mate in 2013, believing McLaren to be the best option for Lewis Hamilton.

The 27-year-old has been linked to a seat at Mercedes, replacing Michael Schumacher, after Eddie Jordan speculated that terms had been agreed between the team and the 2008 champion.

Button though, when questioned on the matter in the Monza paddock, says he fully expects Hamilton to remain with McLaren next season.

"I was surprised to see what I read – and I also don't have a clue if there is any truth in it at all," he said. "I think I will have the same team-mate next year."

Button says McLaren is the best option for Hamilton if he wishes to continually fight for the title - something which is less of a guarantee at the struggling Mercedes.

"This is the best choice for him," added Button. "I think for all of us, if you are in the same place for too long it can get a bit stale: but this is a great team and a team that is always giving us the opportunity to fight for wins.

"But a driver [also] wants the excitement and adrenaline of new challenges and that is the reason why I came here in the first place. I don’t think anything will change next year in terms of driver line-up, but I may be wrong."

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Maldonado aiming for error-free weekend

Pastor Maldonado aims to avoid getting in trouble this weekend and in future races, following several accidents this year which have dented his chances at success.

The Williams driver will serve a double-grid penalty at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday after he jump-started the Belgian GP and made contact with Marussia's Timo Glock.

He has also been penalised for incidents involving Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta and Sergio Perez.

"I've been penalised quite a lot and we need to try to do something different to be away from the stewards," he said.

"I'm doing my best not to go back again to [the stewards] room and get some points."

Maldonado hasn't scored a single point since his Spanish victory seven races ago.

"Sometimes, I have been involved in small incidents and I have been to the stewards, so I will try to keep away from everything.

"But at the same time, I will try to push and do my best for the team and myself. What we did, we have already done, so we need to think about the future and the next races."

The Venezuelan admits he has taken an over aggressive approach to his driving on occasion and this is an area he needs to tame.

"Sometimes, yes," he said in response to his over aggression. "This is one of my characteristics, everyone knows that.

"Some like it and some don't. I need to use that when we need to use it, but not always."

[MIKA27]

Double-DRS remains for Italian GP

The Italian Grand Prix will once again feature two drag reduction zones in similar locations to the 2011 race, though a little shorter.

The first zone is located between the final turn 11 and turn one. Detection is 20 metres before turn 11, with activation 115 metres after the strart/finish straight.

The second detection zone is 95 metres before turn seven whilst activation is located 210 metres after the same turn.

2012 DRS zones for the Italian Grand Prix:

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Alonso: '2017 and beyond, only with Ferrari'

Fernando Alonso says he will end his Formula 1 career with Ferrari, but he refused to suggest when that might be.

The Spaniard joined the team in 2010 and later signed a contract in 2011 seeing him through to 2016, but he admits he may continue with the Italian team pasy then if he still feels motivated.

"I finish my contract for 2017, and at the moment I think it is still too early to be sure what my feelings and my motivation will be then," said Alonso who will be 35-years-old when his contract expires.

"If I am still motivated and hungry still I would love to continue, and if I do it would only be with Ferrari for sure," he added. "If at that time I feel it is time to stop and have a different life it will be a decision I make that year."

Meanwhile, he confirmed that he spoke with Romain Grosjean via SMS, with the Lotus driver apologising for Sunday's Belgian GP accident.

"I have a very good relationship with Grosjean, we were team-mates at Renault and after the accident he sent me a SMS.

"He didn't calculate the distance and the problems, it was many factors together and he felt so sorry for the accident.

"I answered 'no problem.' We will see each other again in Singapore, it was all fine."

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Schumacher escapes grid penalty after Spa gearbox problem

Michael Schumacher can breathe easy, having worried after last week's Belgian grand prix that he would have to take a five-place grid drop at Monza.

Knowing that unscheduled gearbox changes carry the penalty for the next race, the great German finished at Spa with a broken sixth gear.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that the gearbox has been fixed, even if there is no guarantee the problem will not return.

However, Mercedes believes there is a good chance Schumacher's woes are now over, because the main damage was to the actual sixth gear cog -- which can be changed without penalty.

"I think we can save the transmission," team boss Ross Brawn is quoted as saying.

He thinks sixth was damaged at Spa because the drivers are often negotiating corners with high G-forces with that gear engaged.

The problem should not recur at Monza, because sixth gear on the famous Italian layout is mainly engaged whilst the car is on the straights.

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FIA putting a lid on aggressive drivers

Romain Grosjean may not be racing this weekend, but his name was still triggering a lot of conversation at Monza on Thursday.

Lotus' Frenchman is serving a one-race ban for the Spa crash a week ago, and most paddock pundits believe the FIA is also ready to clamp down on Pastor Maldonado's shaky driving in 2012.

The Venezuelan will already serve a 10-place grid penalty on Sunday's grid.

"This year the stewards seem to be harder, not just for me but generally," the Williams driver is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

"We have to respect that and adapt to it."

Mentioning Grosjean or Maldonado's names to pundits throughout the Monza paddock, and the answer is unanimous: 'Aggressive'.

"It is one of my characteristics, some like it; some don't," Maldonado said.

"It's difficult to say 'now I will get this style or I will change that'. I need to think more and evaluate more the situation in the car," he acknowledged.

Some think Grosjean's ban is harsh, some say fair, but it is unanimously agreed that the FIA is laying down the law about those sorts of incidents needing to stop.

"Yes, there have been a lot of mistakes this year; things that you just wouldn't imagine happening at this level," Spa winner Jenson Button told F1's official website.

"Maybe this is a good thing to show people that it won't be tolerated because we are still racing in a dangerous sport."

Like it or not, it is believed that further action in the area of driving cockpit protection is now inevitable.

The paddock is split.

Michael Schumacher told German reporters that he thinks a forward roll-hoop or a canopy - whatever solution - "must be the future".

Sebastian Vettel is less enthusiastic, but he agrees: "It is probably unavoidable now.

"I'm not a big fan of it, but probably if you had the chance to choose in the moment when someone comes flying at you, everybody chooses the closed option.

"Therefore it will not take too long before we have it," the world champion agrees.

[MIKA27]

Closed cockpit idea 'ridiculous' says Mika Salo

Former F1 driver Mika Salo has slammed suggestions F1 should put a roof over the drivers' heads.

The calls for better cockpit protection follow the terrifying first-corner crash at Spa last Sunday, when the now-banned Romain Grosjean's flying Lotus came close to making contact with Fernando Alonso's hands and helmet.

It has emerged that the working group in charge of looking into F1's options is likely to approve some sort of forward roll-hoop or canopy for the 2014 rules.

"I think the idea of a closed cockpit is ridiculous for formula one," Salo, now a commentator for the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, said.

"Actually, it would no longer be formula one, it would be (sports car) prototypes.

"In my view it's not a good idea to panic after an accident, especially when nothing happened (in terms of serious injuries)," the former Ferrari and Sauber driver added.

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HAMILTON STROLLS IN MONZA PARK AS ALONSO AND VETTEL CLASH:

Lewis Hamilton was never threatened as he dominated a dramatic Italian GP in Monza ahead of inspired displays from Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso.

It was Hamilton’s third win of the season and the 20th of his career as well as one of the most dominant. Once he’d got clear at the start, he was able to control the race on a one stop strategy and even a surprise late charge from Perez was containable.

“I was cruising,” admitted Hamilton. “The last 20 laps I had a 14 second gap. At the time Felipe was behind and even though I was cruising, he was going slower than me and then I heard that Fernando had overtook (sic), and it was Fernando who began to catch so then I pulled out a little bit more time and matched his time just to keep it relaxed and then this guy here [Pérez] started catching me at a second a lap. So probably the last four laps I started to push a little bit more, just to maintain a little bit more of the gap.

“I think Ferrari were as quick as us this weekend. At least as quick as us this weekend. I think if Fernando had better qualifying, I’m sure he would have been up there with me and made the race perhaps a little bit harder than it was. We need to stay on it to try to continue to compete with them.”

Perez fought his way through from 12th on the grid to second, while Alonso started 10th and ended up third. He survived a scare when Sebastian Vettel put him on the grass at over 300km/h as they battled mid way through the race. Vettel was given a drive through penalty, but the Spaniard is likely to pursue the discussion behind closed doors with his fell champion over the incident.

There was quite a bit of unreliability; Vettel suffered a repeat of the alternator failure which forced him to retire in Valencia and hit him again in practice in Monza. Jenson Button had a fuel pick up problem which robbed him of second place.

It was a day when Alonso put himself back in the driving seat of the World Championship as the season heads out of Europe as both Red Bulls failed to make the finish and the Ferrari driver saw his lead stretch to 37 points over Hamilton, who is now second.

McLaren closed the gap to Red Bull in the Constructor’s Championship to just 29 points.

The victory for Hamilton and McLaren in Ferrari’s back yard comes amid increasingly strong rumours that Hamilton is heading for Mercedes next season, leaving behind the team that brought him to F1 and took him to the 2008 title.

It had looked very much like a one-two result for McLaren as Jenson Button also drove a very strong race. But it was not to be as he pulled over with a fuel pick up issue in the closing stages in what could have put McLaren just 11 points from Red Bull. This is McLaren’s first hat-trick of victories since 2008 and will continue to be the team to beat for the remainder of the season, but if Alonso continues to move through the field as he did today it will take another streak of victories from Hamilton to overhaul him with the Spaniard’s consistency.

The leading cars were able to complete the race with just one stop and with more ease then was initially predicted. Perez used a set of the hard prime tyre in the opening phase of the Grand Prix and was able to use Sauber’s kindness on its tyres to cover 30 laps in the first stint and the remaining 23 laps on the option tyre, moving through the field in the process and closing towards Hamilton in the final few laps.

With Hamilton out of sight for much of the Grand Prix there was many battles behind, with Alonso making his way past four cars on the opening lap and then hunting down Vettel and Massa he looked set for a second place finish. And when Massa let the Championship leader through with 10 laps remaining the Brazilian came under pressure from Perez as the Brazilian’s first podium since 2010 began to slip away. Massa had a very good get away from the start line and went in to the first turn alongside Hamilton, but had to slot in to second. He held this position for the first phase of the race in his strongest showing of the season, but a superb drive by next year’s potential Ferrari driver Perez has not let off any pressure.

Behind, Kimi Raikkonen and the Mercedes duo had a fairly uneventful race as Mercedes made two stops and could not match the pace of those ahead. It had always been the plan for Mercedes to make an extra stop with their cars being harder on the tyres than the three leading teams.

Raikkonen stopped once on lap 17 and did 36 laps on a set of hard tyres, he was catching Massa at the end and finished just one second behind him. Another lap and he would have taken fourth. He now lies third in the championship on 141 points, one less than Hamilton; quite an astonishing comeback from two years in rallying.

The only major incident of the race, apart from Vettel and Alonso’s clash, came for Jean-Eric Vergne when his rear suspension failed under braking and he got air borne after spinning across the “sausage” kerbs at turn one.

One final point about the three drivers who stood on the podium today – they were the three “victims” of Romain Grosjean’s start line pile up last weekend in Spa. Funny how things turn around!

ITALIAN GRAND PRIX, Monza, 53 laps

1. Hamilton McLaren 1h19:41.221

2. Perez Sauber + 4.356

3. Alonso Ferrari + 20.594

4. Massa Ferrari + 29.667

5. Raikkonen Lotus + 30.881

6. Schumacher Mercedes + 31.259

7. Rosberg Mercedes + 33.550

8. Di Resta Force India + 41.057

9. Kobayashi Sauber + 43.898

10. Senna Williams + 48.144

11. Maldonado Williams + 48.682

12. Ricciardo Toro Rosso + 50.316

13. d’Ambrosio Lotus + 1:15.861

14. Kovalainen Caterham + 1 lap

15. Petrov Caterham + 1 lap

16. Pic Marussia + 1 lap

17. Glock Marussia + 1 lap

18. De la Rosa HRT + 1 lap

19. Karthikeyan HRT + 1 lap

20. Webber Red Bull + 2 laps

21. Hulkenberg Force India + 3 laps

22. Vettel Red Bull + 6 laps

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ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - WHO WAS YOUR DRIVER OF THE RACE?

Lewis Hamilton ignored off-track distractions concerning his future to win his third race of the season in a thrilling Italian Grand Prix at Monza. There were strong drives all the way through the field so who was your Driver of the Day?

Lewis Hamilton

Arrived in Monza amid speculation he was to leave McLaren for Mercedes next season, but showed no signs of it distracting him as he set the pace in second practice on Friday, heading a McLaren 1-2. Looked comfortable with the car in final practice but struggled to keep pace with Fernando Alonso in Q1 and Q2. Hooked together a solid lap in Q3 as Alonso suffered a mechanical problem to take his 23rd career pole. Made a textbook getaway at the start to lead into the first corner and benefited from Felipe Massa leapfrogging team-mate Jenson Button into second. Controlled the race at the front, and stopped just once, to take his third win of the season and move from fifth to second in the drivers’ standings, 37 points behind championship leader Alonso.

Sergio Perez

Failed to replicate the pace Sauber showed in Belgium Grand Prix qualifying at Monza a week later and ended up 12th on the grid. The result worked in the Mexican’s favour as by missing out on the top 10 shoot-out, he could adapt his strategy for the race. Decided to start on the harder compound tyre, while all around him chose the option, which allowed him to go deep into the race before stopping. Pitted from the lead of the race and rejoined eighth before utilising the fresher option tyres, on a lighter fuel load, to climb through the field. Overtook the likes of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso on his way to second – his third podium finish of the season.

Fernando Alonso

Looked strong in Friday practice in front of his home fan and proved for the first time this season that the Ferrari has single lap pace in the dry by finishing quickest in both Q1 and Q2. A broken anti-roll bar in Q3 ended his hopes of getting pole and he qualified 10th. The Spaniard made up five places in the first seven laps to run fifth early on. Was forced off the track by Sebastian Vettel who received a penalty for the move but recovered to later pass the German. Rose to second, but was overtaken by Perez late on and settled for third to increase his championship lead.

Felipe Massa

Was within a tenth of team-mate Fernando Alonso in Friday practice and then delivered his best qualifying of the season to out-qualify Alonso for the first time and start third. Made an electric start to pass Button off the line and tried a move around the outside of Hamilton into Turn One before backing off. Ran second after the pit stops despite losing all his car’s telemetry but dropped off the pace as his tyres began to suffer severe degradations. Finished fourth to equal his best finish of the season but missed out on his first podium since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen

Showed good long-run pace in Friday practice but lacked the straight-line speed to challenge for the top grid places on Saturday and qualified seventh. Struggled to make progress in the race and actually started to drop down the field. However, a bold decision to run a one-stop strategy, coupled with several retirements, helped the Finn finish fifth. Now scored points in all but one race this season and his result at Monza has lifted him up to third in the drivers’ standings, one point behind Hamilton and 38 behind Alonso.

Michael Schumacher

Used the Mercedes good straight-line speed to his advantage to top the times in first practice before a DRS issue slowed his progress in the second session. A Kers issue hampered his programme in third practice, but he delivered a stunning lap in qualifying to finish fifth fastest – three tenths quicker than team-mate Rosberg. Started fourth after Di Resta’s penalty but struggled on his first set of tyres. Forced to do lots of overtaking because of a two-stop strategy, but showed glimpses of his former self as he battled through the field to finish sixth, closing to within 0.3 seconds of Raikkonen at the finish.

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Webber: Wasn't worth finishing

Mark Webber says attempting to finish Sunday's Italian GP on his shot Pirelli tyres was not worth the "couple of points" he would have scored.

The Australian had been on track for a handful of points when, with four laps to go, his worn rear tyres resulted in a massive moment for him at the Ascari chicane.

Webber dropped down to tenth before opting to make his way back to the pits, calling it quits.

"At the end I had no rear tyres left - I was obviously pushing hard," he told the BBC. "And for the sake of a couple of points I could have not pushed as hard.

"The rear tyres were completely finished though."

However, it wasn't just Webber who had a bad day at the office as his team-mate Sebastian Vettel retired earlier.

As such, Sunday's 53-lap race was Red Bull's first in 34 in which they did not score a single World Championship point.

"It was a poor day for us as a team, I'm not sure the last time it happened. We've had a few technical issues and we put ourselves on the back-foot today."

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Schumacher hoping for upward curve

Michael Schumacher believes that his sixth place in Italy could serve as the start of a period of consistent improvement for the team.

Having qualified fourth on the grid, Schumacher endured a tough initial stretch before finishing strongly as many of his rivals struggled.

The result is the second time that the former World Champion has finished sixth, a position he has only bettered on one occasion thus far this season.

It also marks a run in which he has finished five of his last six races having endured a torrid run of luck in the first half of the campaign that saw him retire at five of the first seven grand prixs.

The German admits that he is hopeful that the result at Monza is the start of an even greater improvement.

"It was a fun race today - although I must admit that, following our performance on Friday, I had secretly hoped we would be able to move up the field. But we had a tricky first stint. After that, everything went really well, we were on the pace and I think we showed a clear upwards trend today," he said.

"I kind of ran out of laps this afternoon and, if the race had been a bit longer, I'd have been able to battle even further forward. Overall, though, we got everything out of it today. Now we need to keep this trend going - and everybody in the team is working hard on it."

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Hamilton: Little by little I'm closing in

Lewis Hamilton was never concerned about Sergio Perez pipping him to the win as his claimed his maiden Italian GP crown on Sunday.

Putting all the off-track rumours surrounding him to one side, Hamilton did his talking out on track at Monza this weekend taking pole position in qualifying and following that up with an a smooth victory.

Hamilton led from start to finish, only relinquishing the lead to Sergio Perez when he came in for his sole pit stop of the day.

However, it wasn't long before Hamilton was back in front of the Sauber driver, who was a late stopper and put in a massive charge in the final ten laps to move up to second, overtaking both Ferraris.

Asked if he was concerned about Perez's late pace, Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: "I wasn't.

"I had a 14-second gap I think it was - a 14.5-second gap - and he was catching a second a lap at the time I was cruising.

"I tried to just balance that out over the eight laps or so I had left, then he started getting a little bit closer so I switched it on a bit and minimised the amount he was catching me."

Sunday's victory was McLaren's third successive triumph with Hamilton also winning in Hungary while Jenson Button took the chequered flag at Spa.

Hamilton, though, is the first to admit that the job is not yet done despite praising his team for their recent improvements.

"It's incredibly close between us and the Ferraris, and obviously the Saubers were incredibly quick this weekend, but we've done a fantastic job," he said.

"We came with a really good package for the last couple of races and it's been a shame I have not got the maximum I needed to get from the performance that we've had for the last few races.

"But obviously to have two wins in the last three grands prix is good and I hope that we can continue with that pace."

His latest triumph elevated the McLaren driver to second in the Drivers' Championship where he now trails Alonso by just 37 points.

"The gap's been quite big - 40-something points for a while - and the pressure's on in the team and the Championship to close that little by little," he said.

"When I heard that Fernando was second I thought 'how did he get from 10th to second?'

"But then I heard Sergio had passed him and I thought that's good. I was hoping that someone else got past him but nonetheless we still got good results."

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Alonso: Nothing to say about Seb

Fernando Alonso has refused to slam Sebastian Vettel after their on-track tussle damaged his F2012 in Sunday's Italian GP.

Fighting over fourth place around the Monza circuit, Alonso was stuck behind Vettel despite appearing to have the faster car.

The Spaniard tried several times to look up the inside or around the outside before finally opting for the latter at the Curva Grande.

But instead of taking fourth, Alonso got a face full of dirt as Vettel pushed him wide and off the track.

Telling his Ferrari mechanics that "that's enough," Alonso overtook Vettel two laps later at the same spot while Vettel was then called into the pits for a drive-through penalty.

Asked about the incident, Alonso said: "Nothing really to say."

"I lost 10 laps behind him, after the incident, and for sure the car is damaged because at 330km/h you are jumping on the gravel so I don't think the floor and everything will be fine after those jumps."

Alonso, who had started tenth after car troubles in Saturday's qualifying, went on to finish in third place having been overtaken by Sergio Perez in the final ten laps.

"It was a difficult race starting from 10th but we knew we had possibly the quickest car this weekend," said the Spaniard.

"We had the pace to recover the position so it was a good result for us."

Alonso's 15 points mean he now holds a 37-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton with seven races remaining.

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Massa happy to help Alonso

Felipe Massa admits that Ferrari's high tyre degradation was unfortunate but that he was glad he could be of help to Fernando Alonso.

A strong start put the Brazilian up into second position into the first corner and he enjoyed one of his strongest races of the season despite the team being unable to monitor his car after they experienced electronic problems with the telemetry.

While this certainly didn't aid Massa, he believes that poor tyre performance was an even bigger stumbling block.

"It was unfortunate (to lose the telemetry), but the degradation was high today and we were in a difficult position and putting that on the table it was a good result for the team," he told Sky Sports.

"They couldn't see me on the track from start to finish but everything they were telling me I was doing on the steering wheel and I don't think it was a big problem. The biggest problem was the tyres.

"I expected better degradation, but I think it was a good result for us, third and fourth, for the team it was a good result."

Massa was at one stage in front of Alonso, but saw his team-mate steam by him as the Spaniard continued his surge up the field from a poor qualifying position.

The 31-year-old admits that he is happy to play a part in helping Alonso to the top of the Drivers' standings.

"For sure my personal race was very important, but being in a position to help Fernando as well who is in a position to fight for the Championship we know is very important for the team," he said.

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Vergne: Lucky I didn't flip

Jean-Eric Vergne reckons he was lucky to walk away from his Italian GP accident with just a "bit" of back pain as his car almost flipped.

Vergne's race came to an end on lap 10 when, braking at the end of the main straight, his car snapped right and sent him hurtling towards the kerbs at Turn 1 without any control.

The nose of his Toro Rosso was lifted high into the air with the landing hurting the Frenchman's back.

"I was taken from the accident to the Medical Centre, but apart from a bit of pain in my back and my head, I am fine," Vergne said.

As for the accident, the 22-year-old says he doesn't know the cause.

"I don't know why I crashed," he said.

"All I can remember is that when I braked, I completely lost control of the back end of the car.

"I felt a big impact when the car landed after going up in the air.

"The kerb is high at that point and I count myself lucky that the car did not flip over."

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Perez: Unbelievable

Sergio Perez was all smiles after claiming his third podium finish of the season at Monza ahead of the two Ferraris.

Putting his Ferrari-powered Sauber to good use and making the most of his decision to come in on lap 31 for his one and only stop of the afternoon, Perez stormed to second place at Sunday's Italian GP.

"It was a great race for me and my team," said the Mexican driver.

"It's unbelievable to have a podium for my team at Monza. It's very special."

Perez had been leading the grand prix for a few laps after Lewis Hamilton pitted from the lead.

With Hamilton on much fresher rubber, Perez was a sitting duck as the Brit retook the lead. Perez pitted a lap later, coming in on lap 31.

The Sauber driver then repaid the favour on his rivals, slicing through the field on his medium compound Pirellis.

Perez easily made up ground, overtaking the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and finally Fernando Alonso to finish second.

"I went for prime tyres at the start and I decided to stop late," he explained.

"That gave me very fresh tyres at the end. It's unbelievable."

As to be expected Perez was asked whether he felt his latest podium - on Ferrari's home soil - would strengthen his chances of landing a race-seat with the Italian stable.

"I don't know," was his response. "I am sure not at all. I am fighting for my team and I will always fight for the team I am in, I will always give my maximum.

"I will always fight, if it is against Fernando or Lewis to give my all and every driver would do the same."

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Senna: 'Di Resta should have been penalised'

Bruno Senna believes Paul di Resta deserved a penalty for his actions during the Italian Grand Prix which saw him force the Brazilian wide.

The pair were challenging for tenth position when they clashed at the Roggia chicane. As Senna drew alongside Di Resta, the Scot took up the racing lane which forced Senna to take to the grass.

"It was pretty clear," Senna said after the race. "I had the front wing of my car next to his car and then of course the tyre under braking and he squeezed me off the track."

Senna accused the FIA stewards of double standards after Sebastian Vettel received a drive-through penalty for a similar move on Fernando Alonso.

"We touched," he added. "Fortunately, we didn't launch each other but for me a driver [Romain Grosjean] has been banned for a race for doing something similar to that and even Vettel got a drive-through penalty for squeezing Alonso off the track.

"It's a stewards' decision, so we'll respect it, but I don't think that what Paul did was right. It's racing and sometimes we make errors in judgement but it's up to the stewards to decide."

Di Resta went on to finish 8th whilst Senna finished 10th.