10 Things You Might Have Missed From The GP Weekend
Image source: Getty ImagesNot only were there 53 laps worth of Formula 1 racing at the Monza circuit last weekend, there was also a double helping of the frenetic GP2 and GP3 series. The F1 feeder series provided plenty of chaos with huge crashes, stunning overtakes and face-palm-worthy moves. Here are 10 things you might have missed.
Image source: Getty Images1. How not to take turn one at Monza
Image source: GP3 MediaThe first corner at the epically fast Monza circuit is a tight and twisty chicane breaking up the two long straights that fall on either side. The braking zone is tricky to get right but you would think that young drivers would be more cautious when taking it on the first lap.
Wrong. Here's the first example, Dino Zamparelli veering off to the right on the run to turn one during the first race. It had barely even started and we already had chaos. Unable to brake or steer, Zamparelli careered into his team-mate (and title contender) Tio Ellinas. His uncontrollable Marussia Manor GP3 car damaged several other cars in the process.
Image source: GP3 MediaThe second example involved yet another Marussia Manor GP3 car. Zamparelli was suspended from Sunday morning's race two so it was the turn of team-mate Ryan Cullen to create pandemonium. He missed his braking zone on the run to turn one, getting caught out by the cautious drivers ahead - all keen to make an impression in front of the F1 and GP2 paddock.
He collided with another car, going over the top of it before hurtling into the back of two more innocent drivers. This is definitely how NOT to take turn one at Monza.
2. Raikkonen and Ferrari rumours pick up pace
Image source: Lotus F1 TeamOur favourite Formula 1 driver, Iceman Kimi Raikkonen, is set to be announced as Ferrari's new driver in the coming days, reports over the Italian Grand Prix weekend suggest.
With Danny Ricciardo confirmed at Red Bull, the silly season gossip has picked up pace with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo confirming in Monza that a decision would be imminent. Raikkonen last drove for the team in 2009, before tackling the dirt and trees of the World Rally Championship. He returned to F1 last year with Lotus but it now looks likely that he could make a return to Prancing Horse.
Image source: Lotus F1 TeamFelipe Massa currently holds on to the second Ferrari seat but a continuous lack of form has put his future with the team in jeopardy once again. Italian Grand Prix qualifying star Nico Hulkenberg is also in contention for the role.
3. GP2 driver overtakes 2 cars in 1 braking zone
Image source: GP2 MediaAdrian Quaife-Hobbs put in a faultless performance to take the GP2 sprint race victory on the Sunday morning of the Italian Grand Prix, but it was the driver in second who really impressed with a stunning double-overtake into the Variante della Roggia chicane.
Alexander Rossi had started on pole position but a slow start meant that the Caterham GP2 team driver slipped down the order. He kept with the cars in front and when rain started to fall on lap seven, he pounced. Sam Bird and Julian Leal ran deep into the first chicane, compromising their exit through the next sweeping bend.
Image source: GP2 MediaRossi managed to get alongside Bird on the run to the next chicane, battling closely on the run through the Curva Grande. Leal struggled under braking and Rossi dived up the inside to take both cars in one corner, an epic piece of driving skill from the American.
4. Alonso's sarcasm strikes again
Image source: ctpostWe know that Fernando Alonso - motorsport's highest paid driver - can get a bit hot headed, and that showed during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix. Ferrari has previously used a drafting technique at the low downforce Monza circuit to gain an advantage on the straights, running behind another car and reducing the drag.
They trialled it in practice with Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa happy to help, however it proved to be less successful when crunch time arrived. During the final qualifying session, Massa was too far back for Alonso to gain from the drafting and he made this clear over team radio, saying with frustration, "he is too far back."
Ferrari is known to speak Italian over team radio and some Italian journalists quoted Alonso calling his team "stupid" alongside a sarcastic comment, dubbing his team "geniuses" and uttering "mama mia" after qualifying behind his team-mate in fifth. However, once he was out of the car it was all smiles with the Spaniard saying he gained from the drafting, thanking the team and admitting that he was "happy" with his grid slot.
5. Driving standards criticised in GP3
Image source: GP3 MediaAlongside the face palm first corner crashes in the GP3 races, driving standards also came under criticism after a number of scary and high speed accidents. Several more experienced drivers drove beautiful and error-free races - including Daniel Kvyat, Alexander Sims, Lewis Williamson and Conor Daly to name a few - but the same couldn't be said for several others.
The scariest crash of the weekend arrived with two laps remaining in the second race. Samin Gomez, one of just two female drivers on the grid, was defending aggressively from Adderly Fong along the pit straight. She moved twice to block him - which is against the rules - before Fong moved to the inside as they approached the braking zone.
However, Gomez moved across and the two touched at high speed. This sent Fong over the grass and flying over the high kerbs at turn one. Fortunately he didn't make contact with the barriers and emerged unscathed; it could have been much worse...
There were several other incidents including Jimmy Eriksson racing without a rear wing after the first corner crash. This shows desperation because drivers continue to think they can race when they have no downforce whatsoever. The Swede ended up taking out Nick Yelloly due to this, clattering into him at the Parabolica.
Image source: GP3 MediaLuis Sa Silva also got himself into trouble after a silly misjudgement at the first chicane, taking off his front wing. A total of five post-race penalties were dished out over the course of the two races, in comparison to none in the GP2 series.
6. Kvyat and Harvey take GP3 wins
Image source: GP3 MediaAside from the terrible driving mentioned above, we did see some good racing out on track with Daniel Kvyat dominating race one of the GP3 championship at the Monza circuit. The Red Bull-backed driver led from pole position and was untroubled en route to first place, finishing five seconds clear from Nick Yelloly in second place. Facu Regalia finished third despite suffering an embarrassing moment before the race had even begun, spinning on the formation lap whilst attempting a burn-out.
Jack Harvey won the second race after advancing from second on the grid to first when the lights went out. This was thanks to pole-sitter Patric Niederhauser stalling on the grid. Harvey held off pressure from Lewis Williamson and Daniel Kvyat throughout the race to take victory, ahead of race one's winner. Williamson finished third after showing the rookies how to battle side-by-side after a brilliant fight with Alexander Sims.
Image source: GP3 MediaOther drivers worth a mention include Carlos Sainz Junior, who was spun at turn one in race one and eventually recovered to ninth, Conor Daly, who flew through the field in race two to finish eighth after starting in 23rd place, and Alexander Sims who drove two mature races for Carlin.
7. Bahrain set for night race in 2014
Singapore could be joined by a second night race in the 2014 Formula 1 calendar. Bahrain could be set to host a night race, with an official announcement expected to be made in the next week or so.
Rumours earlier in the season linked Bahrain with a night race, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The race had been suggested as the 2014 season opener but a draft calendar released prior to the Italian Grand Prix weekend confirmed that it could take the fifth slot on the schedule.
Circuit chairman Zayad Al Zayani confirmed that organisers had asked for the race to be pushed back to enable work to be done at the circuit's lighting system.
8. Leimer races to GP2 feature race win
Image source: GP2 MediaFabio Leimer won his third feature race of the 2013 GP2 season after taking the lead into turn one at the Monza track. The Racing Engineering driver, who has endured a roller coaster season so far, was also catapulted into the lead of the championship with rivals Stefano Coletti and Felipe Nasr both failing to finish.
Sam Bird finished in second place to further help his championship challenge, Russian Time team-mate Tom Dillmann finishing in third place. Carlin suffered a terrible race with Nasr retiring with technical gremlins and team-mate Jolyon Palmer retiring with a loose rear wheel. Overall, the race was quite clean with very few crashes in comparison to the early races.
9. 18-year-old set for F1 drive in 2014.
Image source: Sauber F1 TeamYou may have heard of Sergey Sirotkin, Sauber's current development driver whose employment came with a whole heap of cash. He has only just turned 18 and is barely old enough to drive legally in the UK, but he could be set to make his F1 debut next season.
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn confirmed to Sky Sports F1 that, if the Russian gets his superlicense (what they need to race in F1), then he will be one of the Swiss team's race drivers in 2014.
Image source: Sauber F1 TeamShe said: "Yes he will. We have had him in the factory and he has got to know the people and soon we will start a programme with him."
Sirotkin is set to test a 2011 car later in the year, in order to gain enough mileage for his superlicense, and will drive in an F1 demo in Sochi, Russia, later this month.
10. Vettel booed on Monza podium.
Image source: Getty ImagesWhen Sebastian Vettel won his debut Formula 1 race for Toro Rosso in 2008, the Italian fans were ecstatic. What a difference a change of overalls makes. The fanatical Italians booed Vettel on the podium once again, although it doesn't seem to have fazed him.
The triple world champion said: "You can hear the difference, obviously, when you don't win here in a red suit - you get a lot of that. It's very nice because it means you have done very well and beat the red guys. The more booing the better. I said on the radio on the in lap that the more booing we get, the better we have done."
Fantástico Fantástico Fantástico FantásticoFantástico Fantástico Fantástico Fantástico Fantástico Fantástico!! pic.twitter.com/OOg5HdRo3I— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) September 8, 2013
With Fernando Alonso finishing in second, the fans were disappointed with the end result. However, Alonso enjoyed his reception once again and even posted a selfie on Twitter with his thousands of adoring fans in the background.
Comments
No comments found.