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Formula One - Italian Grand Prix Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Sunday, September 13th

Start Time: 8:00 a.m. (et)

Site: Autodromo Nazionale Monza -- Monza, Italy

Track: 5.793 km (3.600 miles), 10-turn road course

Laps: 53

Miles: 190.596 (306.720 km)

Capacity:

Total purse:

Payouts:

Year: 60th

On TV: SpeedChannel

Announcers:

On Radio:

Race record: Michael Schumacher, 2003 (1 hr., 14 min., 19.838 sec.)

Qualifying record: Rubens Barrichello, 2004, (1 minute, 20.089 seconds)

2008 Finish

Defending champion: Sebastian Vettel

Runner up:

Pole winner: Sebastian Vettel, 1:37.555

Top 10:

1. Sebastian Vettel (Start: 1)

2. Heikki Kovalainen (2)

3. Robert Kubica (11)

4. Fernando Alonso (8)

5. Nick Heidfeld (10)

6. Felipe Massa (6)

7. Lewis Hamilton (15)

8. Mark Webber (3)

9. Kimi Raikkonen (14)

10. Nelson Piquet Jr (17)

Average speed: 212.039 k.p.h.

Time of race: 1 hour, 26 minutes, 47.494 seconds

Margin of victory: 12.512 seconds

Caution flags:

Lead changes:

Past winners

2008 Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Toro Rosso, 212.039 k.p.h./1:26:47.494

2007 Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 234.047 k.p.h./1:18:37.806

2006 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 245.814 k.p.h./1:14:51.975

2005 Juan Pablo Montoya, McLaren-Mercedes, 247.096 k.p.h./1:14.28.659

2004 Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 244.374 k.p.h./1:15:18.448

2003 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 247.585 k.p.h./1:14:19.838 (record)

2002 Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 1:16:19.982

2001 Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams-BMW, 1:16:58.493

2000 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:27:31.638

1999 Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jordan-Honda, 1:17:02.923

1998 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:17:09.672

1997 David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:17:04.609

1996 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:17:43.632

1995 Johnny Hebert, Benetton-Renault, 1:18:27.916

1994 Damon Hill, Williams-Renault, 1:18:02.754

1993 Damon Hill, Williams-Renault, 1:17:07.509

1992 Ayrton Senna, McLaren-Honda, 1:18:15.349

1991 Nigel Mansell, Williams-Renault, 1:17:54.319

1990 Ayrton Senna, McLaren-Honda, 1:17:57.878

1989 Alain Prost, McLaren-Honda, 1:19:27.550

1988 Gerhard Berger, Ferrari, 1:17:39.744

1987 Nelson Piquet, Williams-Honda, 1:14:47.707

1986 Nelson Piquet, Williams-Honda, 1:17:42.889

1985 Alain Prost, McLaren-TAG, 1:17:59.451

1984 Niki Lauda, McLaren-TAG, 1:20:29.065

1983 Nelson Piquet, Brabham-BMW, 1:23:10.880

1982 Rene Arnoux, Renault, 1:22:25.734

1981 Alain Prost, Renault, 1:26:36.897

1980 Nelson Piquet, Brabham-Ford, 1:38:07.52 (at Imola)

1979 Jody Scheckter, Ferrari, 1:22:00.22

1978 Niki Lauda, Brabham-Alfa Romeo, 1:07:04.54

1977 Mario Andretti, Lotus-Ford, 1:27:50.30

1976 Ronnie Peterson, March-Ford, 1:30:35.6

1975 Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari, 1:22:42.6

1974 Ronnie Peterson, Lotus-Ford, 1:22:56.6

1973 Ronnie Peterson, Lotus-Ford, 1:29:17.0

1972 Emerson Fittipaldi, Lotus-Ford, 1:29:58.4

1971 Peter Gethin, BRM, 1:18:12.60

1970 Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari, 1:39:06.88

1969 Jackie Stewart, Matra-Ford, 1:39:11.26

1968 Denny Hulme, McLaren-Ford, 1:40:14.8

1967 John Surtees, Honda, 1:43:45.0

1966 Ludovico Scarfiotti, Ferrari, 1:47:14.8

1965 Jackie Stewart, BRM, 2:04:52.8

1964 John Surtees, Ferrari, 2:10:51.8

1963 Jim Clark, Lotus-Climax, 2:24:19.6

1962 Graham Hill, BRM, 2:29:08.4

1961 Phil Hill, Ferrari, 2:03:13.0

1960 Phil Hill, Ferrari, 2:21:09.2

1959 Stirling Moss, Cooper-Climax, 2:04:05.4

1958 Tony Brooks, Vanwall, 2:03:47.8

1957 Stirling Moss, Vanwall, 2:35:03.9

1956 Stirling Moss, Maserati, 2:23:413

1955 Juan Manuel Fangio, Mercedes, 2:25:04.4

1954 Juan Manuel Fangio, Mercedes, 2:47:47.9

1953 Juan Manuel Fangio, Maserati, 2:49:45.9

1952 Alberto Ascari, Ferrari, 2:50:45.6

1951 Alberto Ascari, Ferrari, 2:42:39.3

1950 Nino Farina, Alfa Romeo, 2:51:17.4

Last race

Race: Belgian Grand Prix (August 30th)

Site: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps -- Spa, Belgium

Miles: 191.500

Laps: 44

Finish line order: Kimi Raikkonen, Giancarlo Fisichella, Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld

Time of Race: 1 hour, 23 minutes, 50.995 seconds

Average speed: 220.430 k.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.939 second

Caution flags:

Lead changes:

Lap leaders:

Entry list

#1 Lewis Hamilton (Stevenage, England) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone

#2 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone

#3 Giancarlo Fisichella (Rome, Italy) Ferrari/Marlboro

#4 Kimi Raikkonen (Espoo, Finland) Ferrari/Marlboro

#5 Robert Kubica (Krakow, Poland) BMW-Sauber

#6 Nick Heidfeld (Monchengladbach,Ger) BMW-Sauber

#7 Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, Spain) Renault/ING

#8 Romain Grosjean (Geneva, Switz.) Renault/ING

#9 Jarno Trulli (Pescara, Italy) Toyota/Panasonic

#10 Timo Glock (Lindenfels, Germany) Toyota/Panasonic

#11 Jaime Alguersuari (Barcelona,Spain) Ferrari/Red Bull/Toro Rosso

#12 Sebastien Buemi (Aigle,Switzerland) Ferrari/Red Bull/Toro Rosso

#14 Mark Webber (Queanbeyan, Australia) Renault/Red Bull

#15 * Sebastien Vettel (Heppenheim, Germ) Renault/Red Bull

#16 Nico Rosberg (Wiesbaden, Germany) Toyota/AT&T

#17 Kazuki Nakajima (Aichi, Japan) Toyota/AT&T

#19 Adrian Sutil (Grafelfing, Germany) Mercedes/Force India

#20 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Locorotondo,Italy Mercedes/Force India

#21 Jenson Button (Frome, England) Mercedes/BrawnGP

#22 Rubens Barrichello (Sao Paulo, Brz) Mercedes/BrawnGP

Leading contenders

Name 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Sebastian Vettel 18th Won
Heikki Kovalainen 7th 2nd
Robert Kubica 3rd 5th 3rd
Fernando Alonso 13th 8th 16th 2nd 19th Won 4th
Nick Heidfeld 11th 10th 9th 14th 8th 4th 5th
Lewis Hamilton 2nd 7th
Mark Webber 16th 7th 9th 14th 10th 9th 8th
Kimi Raikkonen 7th 15th 4th 19th 4th 2nd 3rd 9th
Jenson Button 21st 5th 17th 3rd 8th 5th 8th 15th
Rubens Barrichello 2nd Won 3rd Won 12th 6th 10th 17th
Giancarlo Fisichella 10th 8th 10th 8th 3rd 4th 12th 20th

Notes

Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One race last season, when he put on a dominating performance in the rain-soaked Italian Grand Prix. The 21-year-old German driver started on the pole and relinquished the lead only when he pitted twice. Vettel recorded his first F1 victory in his 22nd Grand Prix start. Defending champion Fernando Alonso held the previous record of youngest Formula One winner when he captured the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2003. Alonso was 22 years old at the time.

With the win, Vettel became the second consecutive pole sitter to capture the race and the third in the past four years. Vettel, who defeated Heikki Kovalainen by 12.512 seconds, has added two more victories to his total this year and ranks third on the current points list.

Alonso defeated Lewis Hamilton in 2007 by over six seconds to capture his first Italian Grand Prix. After posting only two top-10 finishes at this race in his previous five appearances, Alonso dominated this time around, as he became the fifth pole sitter to win this race in the last eight years. Alonso, a 21-time winner on the Formula One Circuit, has yet to take the checkered flag this season.

In 2006, Michael Schumacher captured the Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza for the fifth time. The No.5 Ferrari crossed the finish line 8.046 seconds ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Then, in the post-race press conference he announced his retirement from racing. The victory was Schumacher's sixth of seven 2006 titles. Schumacher finished his career with 91 career wins, 40 more than Alain Prost.

In 2005, Juan Pablo Montoya defeated Fernando Alonso by less than three seconds for his sixth career F1 victory. Montoya, who crossed the finish line 2.479 seconds ahead of Alonso, nursed a left-rear tire problem with just four laps remaining to take the checkered flag. Pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen placed fourth.

The Italian Grand Prix, now in its 60th year, is the longest standing Formula One race on the schedule. It has taken place at its current location, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, on all but one of those occasions. This historic track is another favorite for most of the team personnel, thanks to the electric atmosphere created by Ferrari's fans - the tifosi. After Hockenheim, Monza is the quickest track on the F1 circuit. The track was built in the Royal park in 1922 and features a two- track layout, a normal road course and a banked oval. Monza has hosted the World Championship- deciding race 12 times, more than any other circuit, but not since 1979 when Jody Scheckter clinched it for Ferrari and became the last Italian World Champion.

In 1960, Phil Hill became the first American to win a Grand Prix, when he crossed the finish line ahead of the field at the Italian Grand Prix. In 1961, Hill actually clinched the title at Monza, but only after his team-mate, Wolfgang von Trips and 12 spectators were tragically killed.

Jackie Stewart had his first ever Grand Prix victory at Monza in 1965, and in 1966, Ludovico Scarfiotti led home a Ferrari one-two.

The 2009 Formula One season continues September 27th in Singapore. Fernando Alonso won last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

09/08 16:56:48 ET

The Miami Herald

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