Formula One Season Starts This Weekend

[f1 away]

If kim and vett get a good start
Lewis might get frustrated like before

[f1 away]

If kim and vett get a good start
Lewis might get frustrated like before

[SteveB]

Italian Grand Prix preview

• The Italian Grand Prix is 53 laps long
• Circuit distance - 5.793km
• Lap record - 1:21.046 secs by Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari 2004
• [In 2004, Juan Pablo Montoya set the fastest lap in a Formula 1 car at Monza. (not in a race) His time: 1min 19.525secs Average speed: 162.949mph]
• The circuit is set in the largest city park in Europe. At 6.88sq km, it's more than twice the size of New York's Central Park
• Built in 1922, Monza is the oldest circuit on the F1 calendar
• Michael Schumacher has the most wins at this circuit with six
• Ferrari hold the most team wins with 18

[SteveB]

• Hamilton gets perfect start, leads GP, Vettel 2nd
• Raikkonen nearly stalls on grid and falls to last, but is currently climbing up the field.

But with four laps to go, goes Lewis have a problem? Some activity in the garage.
Meanwhile all over for Nico Rasberg. Engine blown.

[SteveB]

Race over. LEWIS HAMILTON WINS.

[SteveB]

Lewis Hamilton's problem at the end is that he has low tyre pressure and may have a time penalty to serve. Shouldn't be a problem, he won with plenty of time to spare. (twenty seconds)

[SteveB]

The new Mercedes engine appears to be half a second faster than the upgraded Ferrari engine. At the moment, it looks like Lewis Hamilton will run away with the driver’s championship and Mercedes will clinch the constructors.

How they finished

1) Hamilton wins. But he might have to serve a time penalty.
2) Vettel
3) Massa , third, after Nico Rosberg’s dramatic engine failure at the end.
4) Bottas
5) Raikkonen, good result after his very poor start.
6) Perez
7) Hulkenberg
8) Ricciardo
9) Ericsson
10) Kvyat
11) Sainz
12) Verstappen
13) Nasr
14) Button
15) Stevens
16) Merhi
Retired: Rosberg, Alonso, Grosjean, Maldonado

[SteveB]

Lewis Hamilton's left rear tyre was 0.3psi below the safety limit set by Pirelli.
Lewis Hamilton was 25.042 seconds in front of Sebastian Vettel as he crossed the line.
If he got a 25-second time penalty, he would win by just 0.042 seconds.
Amazingly, if this happens, this would be only the 3rd closest winning margin ever!

[SteveB]

Williams’ Rob Smedley and Pat Symonds "It's a safety issue – should be disqualification” Well, they would say that. Maximum time penalty under the regulations is thirty seconds, but more likely to be 25.
Nico Rosbergs same tyre was 1.1 under pressure so it does look a deliberate move from Mercedes. Not as if they need to cheat to win, given their engine performance advantage. However, Formula One is about pushing to all the limits.
Gap was 22secs when Lewis was told to "push” at the end, so clearly they knew there was a problem.

Lewis’ win is provisional pending enquiry, but the stewards are unlikely to want to overturn the win, and an easy way out would be to award a 25 second penalty.

[SteveB]

Stewards have confirmed no further action on Mercedes tyre pressures. Lewis Hamilton confirmed the winner of Italian GP