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Thread: 2008 Formula One Italian Grand Prix

  1. #1
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    2008 Formula One Italian Grand Prix

    So whilst the dust is still yet to settle on the hugely controversial Belgian Grand Prix just four days ago, there is no time for the teams and drivers to take time out and take their eyes off the ball. Sunday will see Monza hosting the Italian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton looking to put his recent disappointment behind him and try to increase his slim world championship lead in Ferrari's own back yard.

    With Kimi Raikkonen's title ambitions seemingly in tatters for this year at least, Ferrari will be looking to Felipe Massa to lead the line in their battle with McLaren. He has certainly been on excellent form recently. The only time that he doesn't look a World Champion in the making is when the rain starts to fall, which is when he tends to end up looking rather amateurish. He will not have been thrilled to learn that there is rain predicted for the Grand Prix weekend, and lots of it! The Italian GP is normally run in balmy heat under glorious blue skies, but on the odd occasion it does rain it REALLY rains.

    Rain will be just what the doctor ordered for Lewis Hamilton, as every time it has rained so recently he has excelled; notably Silverstone and Monaco this year and Fuji last season. The real challenge for Hamilton could well be one of temperament. Will he be able to put last week's disappointment (to put it mildly) behind him and focus 100% on the task at hand, or will he still be distracted and let his emotions get the better of him?
    uәʞoɹq spɹɐoqʎәʞ ʎɯ

  2. #2
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    I will go out on a limb and predict some wheel-banging between the Red & Silver cars in this race. It should be fun.

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    Hope we have a high casulaty rainy race on our hands
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  4. #4
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    Ah I hope Raikkonen rebounds but I doubt it, I don't really like Felipe Massa, I don't know why though. It can't possibly be as crazy/exciting as last weeks race. Can it?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by ScionDriver View Post
    Ah I hope Raikkonen rebounds but I doubt it, I don't really like Felipe Massa, I don't know why though. It can't possibly be as crazy/exciting as last weeks race. Can it?
    hopefully its not as ultimately disapointing as spa
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  6. #6
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    Let's see if Ferrari can't redeem themselves from that total ass whipping McLaren handed them last year.
    roflcopter

  7. #7
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    It's hards to bet against the stewards.

    If it remains cool as some people predict, I see Hamilton as the favourite. But I doubt it'll be easy.
    Would it be possible, to play forever?
    The conclusion reached was that a player is inevitably doomed to lose.

  8. #8
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    Monza's been one of the more boring races the last few years, i cant see much that'll change for this year. No TC hasnt really done as much for overtaking as hoped, but with the long straights then the drivers who can put the power down better might finally be able to take advantage.
    I am the Stig

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by fpv_gtho View Post
    Monza's been one of the more boring races the last few years, i cant see much that'll change for this year.
    As long as it's not as bad as Valencia I'll be mildly entertained.
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by fpv_gtho View Post
    Monza's been one of the more boring races the last few years, i cant see much that'll change for this year. No TC hasnt really done as much for overtaking as hoped, but with the long straights then the drivers who can put the power down better might finally be able to take advantage.
    The rain is the X-Factor that could deliver excitement.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    Hope we have a high casulaty rainy race on our hands
    If that happens I predict Massa spining a million times. At least.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    If that happens I predict Massa spining a million times. At least.
    just an hour ago here (Padua, 200km from Monza) it rained so hard it was difficult to drive at low speed...he would probably have retired from F1
    KFL Racing Enterprises - Kicking your ass since 2008

    *cough* http://theitalianjunkyard.blogspot.com/ *cough*

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    Not much to report from the first session other than rain, rain, rain.

    And then some more rain.

    There was hardly any meaningful running throughout the session, with neither McLaren even bothering to set a lap time. The only incident of note was Kazuki Nakajima putting his Williams into a gravel trap and ending his session barely before it had begun. The rain got so bad towards the end that the pit lane drains were all overflowing, and the session was red-flagged. The early stoppage meant that Sutil and Fisichella were the fastest two drivers of the day in their Force Indias!


    First Practice Times

    01 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:32.842 18 laps
    02 R. Barrichello Honda 1:33.428 14 laps
    03 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:33.695 19 laps
    04 T. Glock Toyota 1:36.800 13 laps
    05 N. Rosberg Williams 1:36.900 9 laps
    06 F. Alonso Renault 1:36.965 10 laps
    07 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:37.142 20 laps
    08 J. Trulli Toyota 1:37.214 13 laps
    09 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:37.392 5 laps
    10 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:37.754 13 laps
    11 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:38.057 11 laps
    12 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:38.303 7 laps
    13 J. Button Honda 1:39.062 12 laps
    14 F. Massa Ferrari 1:40.233 5 laps
    15 N. Heidfeld BMW no time 1 lap
    16 K. Nakajima Williams no time 2 laps
    17 R. Kubica BMW no time 1 lap
    18 H. Kovalainen McLaren no time 1 lap
    19 M. Webber Red Bull no time 1 lap
    20 L. Hamilton McLaren no time 1 lap

    The second session was far more interesting, with the track now starting to dry. As you would expect the times tumbled throughout the session, and there was plenty of running from all the major teams as they sought to make up for lost time from the first session washout.

    As the track dried out and more and more rubber was laid down the lead changed hands more times than could be remembered, but by the end of it Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took the Friday honours. His success came on the back of some great news for Kimi and his Finnish fans, as it was announced just before the session that he has signed an extension to his current contract which will take him to the end of 2010. I'm not sure how great that news is for the Tifosi, because to be honest Kimi really hasn't looked the part for most of this season. It certainly isn't good news for Fernando Alonso, the man who many thought would be the man to take over from Kimi in 2010. His options for the future seem to be narrowing somewhat, with BMW now being a likely destination for the Spaniard.

    The BMW's looked very quick in the second session, finishing 2nd and 3rd. Kubica edged out Nick Heidfeld, the man most believe will have to make way for Alonso if the rumoured move is to take place. Kubica did have a rather spectacular spin into the second chicane towards the end of the session, but no lasting damage done. Lewis Hamilton was fourth for McLaren in a fairly solid performance for the young Brit. It was a very close session all round though, with the top four drivers separated by barely more than a tenth of a second.

    Title contender Felipe Massa was a little further adrift down in sixth place, with Williams' Nico Rosberg getting himself between Massa and Hamilton in fifth with a good performance. Force India surprisingly managed to continue their "good form" from first practice, with Adrian Sutil actually making it into the top 10 on merit in 9th place. Toyota seem to have taken something of a step back in terms of pace compared to earlier in the season, as Trulli and Glock looked terribly slow as they did in Spa. Hopefully for them that means that they are merely focusing all their development attention on 2009. Renault too looked pretty dismal, with Alonso way down in 18th and Nelson Piquet dead last after an embarrassing spin at the Retifilio left him wedged high and dry on the speed bumps, meaning he needed rescuing by the marshalls!

    Practice Two Times

    01 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:23.861 31 laps
    02 R. Kubica BMW 1:23.931 26 laps
    03 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:23.947 29 laps
    04 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:23.983 25 laps
    05 N. Rosberg Williams 1:24.110 33 laps
    06 F. Massa Ferrari 1:24.247 34 laps
    07 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:24.365 29 laps
    08 M. Webber Red Bull 1:24.521 35 laps
    09 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:24.669 22 laps
    10 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:24.773 35 laps
    11 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:25.100 25 laps
    12 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:25.192 39 laps
    13 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:25.204 24 laps
    14 R. Barrichello Honda 1:25.296 25 laps
    15 J. Button Honda 1:25.309 34 laps
    16 K. Nakajima Williams 1:25.330 28 laps
    17 T. Glock Toyota 1:25.397 28 laps
    18 F. Alonso Renault 1:25.481 22 laps
    19 J. Trulli Toyota 1:25.753 29 laps
    20 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:26.195 23 laps
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  14. #14
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    Ferrari announced at Monza that they have signed Kimi through 2010, and Massa will
    be back for the 2009 Season as well. So where will Alonso wind up in 2010? Now that
    Kimi has been resigned.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack_Bauer View Post
    ...and Nelson Piquet dead last after an embarrassing spin at the Retifilio ...
    it's "rettifilo", or "rettilineo" more often
    KFL Racing Enterprises - Kicking your ass since 2008

    *cough* http://theitalianjunkyard.blogspot.com/ *cough*

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