Formula 1 News

2008 Italian Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel takes historic win at Monza 

Sebastian Vettel took today at the Autodromo di Monza circuit in Italy, an historic victory for him and the Scuderia Toro Rosso. The young German, grown up racing at the Schumacher family owned Kartodrome in Kerpen, took his and STR’s first ever victory, becoming also the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix in F1.

McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen made a completely silent race, rarely managing to close the gap on Vettel and finished next to him in second place ahead of BMW’s Robert Kubica third. The Pole, had a quiet first half of the race but thanks to a perfectly timed one-stop strategy where he both refueled and changed his tyres to intermediates, came up on third scoring important points in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Only sixth and ninth place for Scuderia Ferrari in their home Grand Prix with the Brazilian stuck in the traffic after his pit stop while the Finn set fastest laps only in the final part which left him out of the points.

Lewis Hamilton had a remarkable race but managed to finish only in seventh place. The Briton, who took the start from P14 and had opted for a one-stop strategy,  after the first few laps started rapidly to pass the others in quick succession gaining positions up to P2 by the half of the race. But a forced second pit stop for intermediates put him back to P7.

Lewis Hamilton keeps the lead on the Drivers’ Championship standings with 78 points but Felipe Massa follows with 77 and Robert Kubica with 64.

2008 Italian Grand Prix, Race Results: