Formula One news
Stunning Vettel romps to record-breaking victory
14 September 2008 / Results / PhotosSebastian Vettel took a stunning maiden victory for Scuderia Toro Rosso in a thrilling Italian Grand Prix at Monza to become the youngest ever Grand Prix winner. Vettel outclassed the field, leading Kovalainen home by 12 seconds an upstaging title rivals Massa and Hamilton who finished sixth and seventh.
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Wet conditions and a rain shower ahead of the start of the race threw yet another curveball at the teams. However, with only three sets of full wet tyres available for each car for the whole weekend, there was nobody on the grid with an unused set, given the washed out practice and qualifying.
Conditions were so treacherous that race control took the decision to start the race behind the safety car as Toro Rosso's dream weekend took a blow as Bourdais car stalled on the grid and it took a full lap before the team got him back out on track.
The safety car came in after two laps and Vettel led a field of thick spray into the first corner. The Toro Rosso led Kovalainen, Webber, Rosberg, Massa and Trulli. Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton failed to capitalise early, laying down in thirteenth and fourteenth.
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Vettel looked in a class of his own, building a lead of 5.7s by lap seven. Meanwhile Raikkonen made some progress on lap eight, passing Fisichella into turn one for eleventh, and Hamilton followed suit on lap nine.
On lap 11 Hamilton got a better drive out of the second chicane and passed Raikkonen for eleventh on the inside of the first Lesmo. Hamilton came alive and started making his way up the field, passing Heidfeld with ease and tussling with Glock in turn one to climb to ninth by lap 16 and making light work of Kubica for eighth. Title rival Massa woke up too, and dispatched Rosberg to take fourth place.
By lap 17 Vettel's lead over Kovalainen had grown to 11 seconds with Webber third, Massa fourth, Rosberg fifth and Trulli sixth.
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Race leader Vettel was the first to pit on lap 18 while Lewis Hamilton blasted past Fernando Alonso down the main straight for seventh. On lap 21 the McLaren driver passed Trulli down the main straight, but ended up cutting the chicane and had to cede the position back to the Toyota.
Kovalainen, Webber and Massa all pitted on lap 22, allowing Vettel back into the lead, but Hamilton was on a charge climbing ahead of Nico Rosberg to second place. Hamilton pitted on lap 27, taking on full wets and rejoining in tenth, only twelve seconds behind title rival Massa.
As the rain eased and the track dried, intermediate tyres were the order of the second pit stops, with Massa coming in for his on lap 33, followed by the rest of the frontrunners on the next lap.
Race leader Vettel pitted on lap 36 for his final stop and intermediate tyres, followed in by Hamilton whose gamble on a one-stopper took a twist as he was forced to come in again for intermediate tyres. Vettel resumed the lead ahead of Kovalainen, Kubica, Alonso, Heidfeld, Massa, Hamilton and Webber.
As Vettel looked peerless in the lead, Hamilton loomed large in Felipe Massa's mirrors as they fought over sixth and seventh and that was where they would end on a day where Sebastian Vettel outclassed the field in his Toro Rosso, taking victory by a massive 12.5s ahead of Heikki Kovalainen.
Robert Kubica's perfect strategy brought him up to third ahead of a strong drive by Alonso in fourth. Nick Heidfeld finished fifth ahead of Massa, Hamilton and Webber.
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