The Italian Grand Prix Thread (Montoya wins!)

[Ed]

Qualifying: Top 8: Raikkonen (drops 10 places), Montoya, Alonso, Button, Sato, Trulli, M Schumacher and Barrichello

Full Results - Commentary

[JayVee]

Where is everyone

Had Alonso The Cute been forced to change an engine you'd all be laughing

Oh poor Raikkonen
He is really lucky. Imagine if those engine failures occur during the race
I suppose there is still a whole race distance to go on this engine isn't there. That is a lot of laps for a Mercedes

Alonso still on target to clinch the title in Spa - Ambitious but possible

[danilen1]

Where is everyone

Alonso still on target to clinch the title in Spa - Ambitious but possible

by spa? lol, extrememly ambitious... i wouldnt bet on it.. maybe interlagos with a bit of luck. I dont think kimi will do better than 4th here, Montoya Alonso and Button should get the podiums... weird thing is satos been quicker than button all weekend??

Can anyone imagine McClaren giving monty orders to back the pack up to keep raikkonen in with a fighting chance? kimi could win with a good team strategy but i doubt monty will be game

oh, and btw, Im laughing at kimis engine change one more of those and alonso has the title and i have a big wad of cash in my pocket for freshers week... woohoo! lol

[JayVee]

Why not ?

Kimi's engine should fail again tomorrow around lap 45 or so. Montoya's would have failed by lap 21 and Alonso wins. Gap becomes 34 with 4 races.

Repeat scenario for Spa

Nothing is impossible when it comes to Mercedes engines

That way you can win that big wad of cash and pay us the peanuts you owe us

[Ed]

Juan Pablo Montoya who is starting from Pole said

A clean and fast lap and I am pretty happy with my performance. It is good to start from the front, and I now need a trouble free run to the first corner. To get through there without problems is crucial. Unfortunately Kimi has to start from 11th, but a lot is still possible. We will give it our all to win the race and close the gap in both the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championship

Kimi Raikkonen who was fastest but will start from 11th due to an engine change said

Unfortunately, I can not make the best use of my qualifying performance which would have been pole position. Having to start from 11th position I face a difficult race but it was the best I could achieve. However the speed of our car is so good, which means I still see a chance of moving up the field and you never know what happens

Full McLaren Team and Driver quotes following qualifying here

[Ed]

Fernando Alonso starting from second on the grid said:

It was a nice lap for me. We have had a few more problems with the car than we expected this weekend, after a good test, but we worked quite a lot this morning to prepare for the race and improve the handling. Even so, I had some doubts about our speed over one single lap, but I showed the speed was there this afternoon ? which makes me even more confident for tomorrow. Obviously, I have been helped by Kimi's problem but that doesn't change anything for us: we know we need to finish the race with no problems, and hopefully get on the podium. That's what I will be doing tomorrow afternoon

Full Renualt Team and Driver quotes following qualifying here

[Ed]

Jenson Button starting 3rd on the grid said:

I am pretty happy with that! After suffering with the set-up of the car a bit this morning, and having to slow up in the final free practice session because of the two yellow flags, I was a little disappointed before qualifying. Alonso and I were extremely close for 2nd, but 3rd here does have the advantage of being on the cleaner side of the track. It's nice to be near to the front on the grid again and hopefully we have a reasonably good strategy and pace so we can keep it there!

Full BAR Honda Team and Drivers quote following qualifying here

[adz_619]

i think kimi raikonnen will have a tough battle from 11th to 1st , BUT HE CAN DO IT , HE WILL WIN THE ITALIAN GP 2005. JPM has a good chance to win the grand prix if he gets away well in the first portion of the race and sucsessfully completes pit-stops, also he will only be able to achieve that by keeping Alonso off his tale.
GOD KNOWS

[danilen1]

i think kimi raikonnen will have a tough battle from 11th to 1st , BUT HE CAN DO IT , HE WILL WIN THE ITALIAN GP 2005. JPM has a good chance to win the grand prix if he gets away well in the first portion of the race and sucsessfully completes pit-stops, also he will only be able to achieve that by keeping Alonso off his tale.
GOD KNOWS

perhaps you would like to have a bet on kimi winning the race with me??
On second thoughts maybe not,, if he finishes 2nd you'll still think i owe you money jusat because he came close ... The same way everyone else thinks i owe them money because the mclarens ran problem free until the last lap in turkey THEY HAD TO GO THE WHOLE RACE PROBLEM FREE GUYS!!!!!

[danilen1]

How ridiculous is kimis failure this weekend? McLaren are so much faster than Renualt why do they push their engines so hard in pratice.. I think they have employed one of the worst stratgies they could have..
I reckon they could turn up to a race weekend an hour before qualifying and still get pole and win
How do they not realise that they are considerably faster and can afford to run their engines at 90% the whole time to avoid reliability issues
But then what do i know im just some cynical p#$% judging them from the safety blanket of my parents home

[Byron Forbes]

The Williams cars seem to have geniune pace here.

You just had to say that didn't you!


"Oh where, oh where, did my little Williams go
Oh where oh where could it be............."

[Julian Mayo]

The Williams cars seem to have geniune pace here.

You just had to say that didn't you!


"Oh where, oh where, did my little Williams go
Oh where oh where could it be............."

...".seem" .....to have the appearance of, but not necessarily be this in fact

[Byron Forbes]

Actually, I missed qual and forgot that both Williams were first out. Not too shabby considering.

[Ed]

Post Qualifying Press conference now available here with Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso

[Ed]

Race results - Top 8: Juan Pablo Montoya wins ahead of Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella. Kimi Raikkonen, Jarno Trulli, Ralf Schumacher, Antonio Pizzonia and Jenson Button make the top 8.

Full results - Commentary