ON REFLECTION- Italian Grand Prix
aIs Rosberg just a good number two?
Such is the manner of his beating at the hands of Lewis Hamilton, can Nico Rosberg truly be called a title contender anymore?
The gap between the Mercedes duo is 53 points. Hamilton has been in firm control all season and is surely on the way to comfortably retaining his world title.
Rosberg gave all he had last year, and came very close to winning. In reality, the 2014 world title was his to lose, and he lost it.
This year is a different story. The German has rarely been on the same pace as Hamilton and has often languished behind. Like Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber in recent years, is Rosberg destined to play second fiddle to an extraordinary team-mate for years to come. It seems that way.
Barrichello and Webber both won races, just as Rosberg has. But they lacked the consistent speed to seriously harm either Michael Schumacher or Sebastian Vettel and invariably finished in their shadows.
Rosberg has proven himself to be a fine driver. But he isn’t on Hamilton’s level, just as Barrichello and Webber trailed in the wake of their superior team-mates.
Losing Monza would be a travesty
Tifosi F1 fans claiming the mainstraight at Monza
It is becoming a scary reality that Monza may not be on the F1 calendar beyond next season, as discussions over a new contract remain ongoing.
Monza don’t want to pay the going rate according to boss Bernie Ecclestone, while many inside the sport have urged the commercial rights holder to allow the ‘historical’ venues to pay less. On evidence of this weekend, they have a point.
Monza is synonymous with Ferrari, the greatest and grandest team on the grid. Love or loathe the Italian giants, they are woven into the fabric of F1. The Italian Grand Prix is their home. When F1 reaches Italy, the crowd reflects a football match more than a racing event, such is the partisanship towards Enzo’s team.
The atmosphere is unrivalled. The history is special. Monza has been on the calendar in almost all of F1’s 65-year history. The Curve Grande, parabolica and long straights live in F1 folklore, while the old banking still sits behind the current track.
In an age where soulless venues continue to pollute the schedule, places like Monza give F1 its nostalgic feel. Taking it away would be a sad day for the sport.
Will Raikkonen eve recapture his best?
All cars going into the first chicane after the start of the 2015 Italian F1 GP
Arguably the most pleasing aspect of qualifying was the return to form of Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn beat Sebastian Vettel to claim second, just 0.2s off Lewis Hamilton’s pole time. On race day, it seemed that a win was within Raikkonen’s reach.
However, thoughts of him winning a first race since 2013 were dashed within seconds when he made one of the worst starts you are ever likely to see. He hardly got off the line, and by the first corner he had fallen to last.
Raikkonen can’t seem to glue together a good weekend. He’s either left himself too much to do with a wretched qualifying session, or on race day he’s hindered himself. Ferrari’s decision to retain him for next year should be celebrated, but it seems unlikely he will ever be a major threat again.
Massa’s Indian summer shows no signs of stopping
Felipe Massa, Williams F1, 3rd Position, celebrates as he arrives on the podium.
Valtteri Bottas is one of F1’s hottest prospects. It was expected that Ferrari would hire him to become Vettel’ s new team-mate next season in replace of Kimi Raikkonen. Every former driver and media pundit tips Bottas to become world champion.
All of this makes the achievements of his Williams team-mate Felipe Massa all the more remarkable. The Brazilian has six more points than Bottas this season, and scored his second podium of the season on Sunday.
When Massa left his Ferrari hell to join Williams last year, it was seemingly a stone on the way to retirement, to sit and watch as Bottas worked miracles.
Last year, he showed flashes of his old self but still trailed Bottas for the majority of the season. But this year, he has upped his game. Massa has been revitalised by the Williams project and looks every bit as good as he did in 2008 when he almost became world champion.
At Monza, he held off Bottas to secure third. After the race he declared he was too old to go through scraps like that. But if he continues to drive like this, then the 34-year-old could yet see himself fighting for race victories if opportunities arise.
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
