Alonso savours ‘special ‘ Ferrari win on home soil
An hour and 20 minutes after Hamilton had dejectedly walked into the McLaren brand centre, having yet to remove his helmet after crashing out on the first lap, Alonso was standing on top of the podium milking the acclaim of thousands of fervent Ferrari fans.
For 36 laps it appeared such a scene was not going to happen as Alonso found himself staring at the rear of a flawless Jenson Button’s McLaren.
Button had led off the line, despite polesitter Alonso’s fierce attempt to cut across the Briton on the long run down to the first chicane, Rettifilio.
Seconds later and Hamilton was out of the race, breaking his front-right suspension after colliding with the rear-left wheel of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari on entry to the second chicane, Variante della Roggia.
There then followed an intriguing game of cat and mouse between Button and Alonso, the gap between them never more than 1.6secs, although for the majority of the time it was under a second.
Ultimately it came down to the one pit stop, Button coming in at the end of lap 36, Alonso a lap later, the difference 0.8secs in Ferrari’s favour, enough to narrowly edge their man ahead.
That was all that was needed for Alonso to claim victory, the fans in the grandstands erupting with delight when he crossed the line, and after the celebratory in-lap, there was the customary invasion of the circuit.
As the anthems played and the champagne was sprayed, the entire pit straight was a sea of bodies, creating a scene rarely witnessed in F1.
It was Ferrari’s first victory on home soil for four years, and an emotional one given the tumult of late over the team orders saga.
“I can only compare those scenes with my Spanish Grand Prix victory of 2006. It’s a very special, really emotional win,” said Alonso.
“When I joined Ferrari I never imagined a day so good. As I’ve said at times this year, the integration into the team has been fantastic.
“This podium in Monza, with all the people supporting Ferrari, all those fans with the Ferrari flags was a good feeling for me – a good shock.”
The contrast between Hamilton and Alonso encapsulated the peaks and troughs all five title contenders have endured this season because just a fortnight ago after the Belgian Grand Prix the scenario was very different.
Hamilton was the driver who emerged victorious after Alonso had crashed out, the quintet of championship rivals separated by 41 points.
The spread that covers them now is 24 – less than for a race win these days – as Alonso, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel, who all finished without a point in Spa, came home first, second and fourth at Monza.
Webber, second in Spa, was sixth on this occasion behind Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, but taking enough points to leapfrog Hamilton in the standings and it is the Australian who again leads by a slender five points.
Hamilton now knows he should have exercised a degree of caution, that he should not have been so greedy in attempting to pass Massa who eventually came home third.
“I had a good start and gained a position, and in a realistic world I perhaps should’ve stayed there,” said Hamilton.
“I put my car up the inside and tried to get third –– it was obviously a little bit too much. It’s my fault. I take the blame.
“I’m very disappointed in myself and sorry for the team. I’ve got to try to collect my thoughts and move onto the next race”.
After being t-boned by Vettel in Spa, Button was content enough with 18 points for finishing as runner up that leave him 22 shy of Webber.
“We pitted one lap earlier, which might have been a mistake because I couldn’t find any grip on the new tyres, and that’s where I lost my time,” said Button.
“But it’s still a happy day, I’ve good points for the championship, but I’m sad not to be on that top step.”
Williams’ duo Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello were seventh and 10th, sandwiching Renault’s Robert Kubica.
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