Sorpassa al suo meglio - Overtaking at Its Finest

Personal commentary. (Italian GP 2014 - Race) 

It is race 13 in the 2014 F1 season and the last race in Europe. Today's race showcased a fair share of amazing overtakings by some drivers, most notably Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. 

The very first lap right after lights out was a spectacle. The drivers were making use of the first few seconds to scramble for the top spot and that was exactly what Nico Rosberg and some other drivers do. Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo were slipping away from their grid positions, Bottas and Ricciardo the most affected. At that moment when Rosberg gained the first position, I had a gut feeling that his position wouldn't last throughout the race. True to my intuitive feeling, he made a mistake on lap 29. That move instantly gave Hamilton the chance to zip past him and made him leader throughout the race. Question on why "I placed my bet" on Hamilton? Well, his lap times over the two days do show us that he is a master of this fast, flowing circuit. It was, therefore, easy to predict Hamilton winning the race no matter which position he may start from. It is amusing to watch the race and read tweets at the same time. I recall my Twitter feed was filled with references to "Hammertime" once Rosberg went wide into the first chicane. It seemed like every Hamilton supporter just knew the exact time to tweet the same word. 

To be honest, my eyes were not on the Mercedes drivers throughout the race. They were getting boring, race by race. It was either, "Oh, Rosberg/Hamilton at the front! One of them will be the sure winner." or "Isn't it obvious? Rosberg/Hamilton won pole yesterday, that means they will win the race...". It is rather strange to see so many people loving this season, just because Sebastian Vettel is no longer dominating races... This season has been boring to me (the race actions/dramas is an exception) in terms of the drivers' championship. Period. 

What stood out during Sebastian Vettel's four successive years was the fact that there were at least two (mostly three) drivers fighting for the championship. By two drivers, I mean two drivers from different teams having different cars running on different engines. THAT, is what I call true competition. Not now when you have the top spots taken up by cars using the very same engine provider. 

Bottas, just like all Finns before him, is born with speed and perhaps another special "strictly only Finn racers" power. Right from the start of this season, he has been finishing races in the points. It was a massive improvement from 2013. Each race he has shown us so far never cease to leave us open-mouthed. He is swift, he is alert, his overtaking skills are up to the mark. He kind of reminds me of Hamilton, in which he has the ability to overcome any pressure thrown in his way and still be able to become stronger than before. Bottas is never reckless with his overtakes. He just does it smoothly to get his way to the best position he can manage. That happened once again today. 

The number of wheel to wheel overtakes was overwhelming. My eyes felt like they could roll out of their sockets if the race would have continued for another hour. There were RIC-RAI, HAM-MAS and BUT-PER. BUT-PER was the one that lasted the longest and was truly intense. It was a fight between the former teammates. The winner turned out to be Sergio Perez! Talking about proving to McLaren that they were wrong in kicking him out of McLaren so early...  

I knew Daniil Kvyat would be able to bounce back from his penalty but I did not expect him to move up the grid so quickly. He even managed to get a grip before he crashed into the barriers at the first chicane. His save was brilliant. I would say that he is the only rookie with so much bad luck this year. If it would not have been issues with his car, he would have been on par with Kevin Magnussen.

Red Bull surprised me today. I honestly had minimal expectations on them. Both of them went beyond mine (apparently) and I am pleased to see how far they have come. Daniel Ricciardo has once again proved that starting behind his teammate in the beginning of the race isn't a major problem. Nonetheless, it wasn't the best finish Ricciardo could produce. Monza may not be their strength but the upcoming races will put them at an advantage.

As for Ferrari, the team is not having their best weekend in their home race, ironically... I could not believe my ears when I heard the commentator announcing Fernando Alonso's car had stopped in Turn 1. According to a close friend of mine, that is coincidentally the same spot he had retire from the race in 2006. My heart truly ached for Alonso, especially seeing how he had such a good week. He totally did not deserve that retirement in his team's home race. Call me weird but whenever it is a team's or driver's home race, my team loyalty just comes to a halt. I would always hope for the best for that driver or team. After all, it is an honour to represent your country and giving it all back by winning. I understand that. When I realised Alonso had to retire and Raikkonen was not able to do any better for the rest of the race, I just felt sorry for them as they were not able to give what the Tifosis want: a Ferrari podium on home soil. 

Don't be sorry, Alonso. We know you have always given in your best despite how unreliable the Ferrari cars are this year! No te rindas y nunca perder la esperanza (Don't give up and never lose hope)! 

Once again, I can imagine a scene in which Luca di Montezemolo would be banging his head against a wall in frustration 'cause... Yeah, it is because FELIPE MASSA MADE IT ON PODIUM! This marks the first podium of his in Williams. Congratulations, Massa, not just on the podium but also on getting another year racing with Williams! 

Today turns out to be the day that Caterham finally beat Marussia, all thanks to Kamui Kobayashi (stay tune for an article on him during the Japanese GP week). 

This pretty much sums up everything I have to say on the race. Two weeks to the Singapore GP, my beloved home race! Have a good week ahead and stay safe! At least we have the MotoGP at San Marino next weekend! ;) OH! Did I mention the very first Formula E will be on too? :D 

Italian Grand Prix Race: 

1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 53 1:19:10.236 1 25
2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 53 +3.1 secs 2 18
3 Felipe Massa Williams 53 +25.0 secs 4 15
4 Valtteri Bottas Williams 53 +40.7 secs 3 12
5 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 53 +50.3 secs 9 10
6 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 53 +59.9 secs 8 8
7 Sergio Perez Force India 53 +62.5 secs 10 6
8 Jenson Button McLaren 53 +63.0 secs 6 4
9 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 53 +63.5 secs 11 2
10 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 53 +66.1 secs 5 1
11 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 53 +71.1 secs 21
12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 53 +72.6 secs 13
13 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 53 +73.0 secs 12
14 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 52 +1 Lap 16
15 Adrian Sutil Sauber 52 +1 Lap 14
16 Romain Grosjean Lotus 52 +1 Lap 17
17 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 52 +1 Lap 18
18 Jules Bianchi Marussia 52 +1 Lap 19
19 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 51 +2 Laps 22
20 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 51 +2 Laps 15
Ret Fernando Alonso Ferrari 28 +25 Laps 7
Ret Max Chilton Marussia 5 Accident 20

Lady (bad) Luck Smiling on Ferrari

Personal commentary. (Italian GP 2014 - FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying) 

Summer is still here to stay at Monza this weekend. The sun was shining mercilessly yesterday but that did not faze the crowd in the least.  Throngs of them turned up, most of them wearing or having something the colour of Ferrari. It was absolutely amazing to see how much ardour the Italians have towards this event. The Italian Grand Prix is no doubt one of my favourite tracks. It may not be in my top three but it always has a place in my heart partly due to the overwhelming crowd.

The fastest driver in free practices this week was no different since the beginning of the season. It was either Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg. The order for this week would be FP1: Hamilton, FP2: Rosberg, FP3: Hamilton.


Qualifying, however, was a joyous celebration for most people (not just the Hamilton fans). Yep, apparently there is still a huge percentage of human beings who cannot seem to get over Spa... Come on guys, the drivers have even moved on. Shouldn't you be too? Karma or not, he deserved it or not, a person's mistake should be erased once he/she admits his/her mistake. Rosberg deserves every right to be respected as a driver again after whatever he has gone through. It isn't simple to go head to head fighting for the championship with a teammate who has won a championship before.

Hamilton, well done on clinching pole position once again after seven races! He was unbeatable in all sessions in qualifying today, unfailingly topping everyone else. Well, we all know qualifying wasn't the only one that he outshone this week. He was right behind his teammate in FP2. It wasn't his fastest for the week but (mind you) he did have an electronic fault that affected his entire practice session! I have to agree with Fernando Alonso on this one, Hamilton is no doubt one of the strongest drivers on the grid!

Just when I thought Ferrari is starting to gain pace with their F14T, that belief did not last long till qualifying. Argh! Imagine how shattered the Tifosis might have felt. Getting their hopes up only to have them plunged into the depths of... An ocean? haha. Jokes aside. Alonso, the best achiever of the Ferrari, is starting from seventh, right behind six Mercedes powered cars! What a disgrace, really. An Italian team having been overtaken by six German engineered cars... Amongst them is none other than his former teammate, Felipe Massa. OUCH! I guess this pretty much sums out how Luca di Montezemolo is feeling right now.

Both McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen are clearly pushing their hardest this week especially with so many rumours circulating around of one getting replaced next season. Alonso is a catch and he comes with a very dear price tag on him. Honestly though, I would want both of them to stay put for another season (at least) partly because 1. both of them work so well together and 2. Button serves as a good mentor to the rising star, Magnussen. Besides, it is good to have these two together next season when they will have to race with a new engine provider: Honda. Same reason again, reason number two. Button has knowledge on Honda powered cars for a fair bit of years and therefore he is able to pass on that knowledge to Magnussen. See the connection?

Aussie favourite, Daniel Ricciardo, did not outperform his teammate this week. Sebastian Vettel was no better. In fact, the Bulls were not even close to the top five spots this entire week.

It has been a predictable and yet an unforeseeable weekend so far. Hamilton may start first on the grid tomorrow but Monza is a track that offers good overtaking opportunities. Long fast straights that has drivers propelling their cars to the maximum speed.

With the Mercedes duel still fresh in everyone's mind, prepare those popcorns and get ready to watch an epic race. The battle doesn't stop at Spa.

Italian GP Qualifying: 

1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:25.363 1:24.560 1:24.109 20
2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:25.493 1:24.600 1:24.383 19
3 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:26.012 1:24.858 1:24.697 16
4 Felipe Massa Williams 1:25.528 1:25.046 1:24.865 17
5 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1:26.337 1:25.973 1:25.314 18
6 Jenson Button McLaren 1:26.328 1:25.630 1:25.379 18
7 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:26.514 1:25.525 1:25.430 17
8 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:26.631 1:25.769 1:25.436 18
9 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:26.721 1:25.946 1:25.709 17
10 Sergio Perez Force India 1:26.569 1:25.863 1:25.944 23
11 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:26.261 1:26.070 16
12 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:26.689 1:26.110 13
13 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:26.140 1:26.157 15
14 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:26.371 1:26.279 18
15 Adrian Sutil Sauber 1:27.034 1:26.588 17
16 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1:26.999 1:26.692 17
17 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:27.520 8
18 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:27.632 5
19 Kamui Kobayashi Caterham 1:27.671 9
20 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:27.738 8
21 Max Chilton Marussia 1:28.247 8
22 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 1:28.562 9

* Daniil Kvyat will face an engine penalty, which will drop him down to 21. *

Silver Arrows in Ferrari Territory

Hello to my new blog followers! :) I'm Rachel, a student pursuing a bachelor in journalism. It's my aim to get into the F1 field one day. I know that it isn't easy to get there but I'm sure as hell working my ass off just so I can do what I love. 

I may be in Brisbane now but I do plan to go back home to promote this amazing motorsport in Singapore. It is my absolute dream to make a difference and what better way than to write with passion. 

This first article is part of my uni assignment in which I have to create my own news story. I assure you that it won't be so rigid and short in the next few posts to come. I will give you a heads up before each post to inform you whether this article is my assignment or personal. 

So here we go, enjoy guys! I'm so excited to start this journey with all of you. :) 

Hit me up on Instagram and Twitter at @rach_f1fan. 

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso is once again under the spotlight in the team’s home race this weekend for the fifth year.

All Formula One (F1) drivers know Monza as a historical track: the temple of speed. Alonso, especially, truly understands how important it is to be on podium ever since he joined the Italian team. The driver has had an outstanding record in Monza, having a win back in 2010, followed by podium finishes up to 2013.

The Italian team may have had its highs for the last four seasons but the Italian team faces one of the worst seasons in the 2014 championship.

On top of the reconciliation between Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton over the Spa clash last week, Ferrari has minimal chance in beating the top two fastest drivers.

“We want to give them (Tifosis) a good result on Sunday, but it will be very hard to repeat what we did the last four years and this will be one of the toughest races for us this year,” Alonso said.

Despite the weight on his shoulders, Alonso was still able to set time to enjoy the race weekend. He posted a selfie in a simulator and pictures of the crowd at Monza on Twitter.

With the weeklong break since the Spa controversy, Rosberg and Hamilton came back with a common objective.

“That is why we are where we are, you know. We have the best car out there, we have the best team at the moment. That’s because we work well together as a team,” Rosberg said.

The Silver Arrows has not had an Italian Grand Prix win ever since its comeback. The highest the team has scored was a fifth by Michael Schumacher in 2011.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hopes to have two drivers on podium to increase their lead in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.