12.09.11

Stuart Codling's column

Even a poor start couldn’t derail Sebastian Vettel as he took his eighth victory of the 2011 Formula 1 season. The win also erased several years of bad memories for Red Bull at Monza; remarkably, this was the team’s first Italian Grand Prix triumph.

It was Fernando Alonso who led the challenge at the start, slotting into the lead for Scuderia Ferrari while Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button lost out in the first corner shuffle. At Monza a first corner accident is almost inevitable, this time triggered by Vitantonio Liuzzi from the back of the grid.

While the caution of Hamilton and Button would eventually be repaid, it didn’t appear so immediately. No sooner had the Safety Car returned to the pits than Michael Schumacher pounced to demote Hamilton to fourth. Mark Webber similarly demoted Button from sixth to seventh.

In attempting to relieve Felipe Massa of fifth place, Webber somehow contrived to take both himself and the Ferrari off. Massa was able to continue, eventually finishing sixth, but Webber’s challenge ended there.

This promoted Button to fifth and he soon caught the Schumacher-Hamilton battle. The seven-times world champion was hard enough to pass when he was regularly winning races, and in the twilight of his career he has grown yet more unco-operative. Blocking Hamilton regularly enough for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver to radio the pits to complain, he unwittingly opened the door for Button to pounce on lap 16.

When Hamilton tried to pass at the Curva Grande and then had to take to the grass to avoid hitting the swerving Schumacher, Button passed them both. He then set off in pursuit of Alonso, who had by then fallen behind Vettel.

Button overtook Alonso after the second round of pitstops but by then there was nothing to be done about Vettel, who won by 9.590s. Hamilton finally passed Schumacher but was unable to snatch third from Alonso.