Italian GP 2009

SEPTEMBER 12, 2009

Qualifying Report - Hamilton takes pole

Lewis Hamilton, Italian GP 2009
© The Cahier Archive

Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, beating Adrian Sutil by two-tenths. Kimi Raikkonen was third for Ferrari but hoped to do better in the race as the Ferrari has long tended to be better in the races than in qualifying.

Heikki Kovalainen was fourth fastest ahead of the two Brawns of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, while seventh was a fine effort from Force India new boy Tonio Liuzzi, who was probably carrying a lot more fuel in Q3 as he had shadowed Sutil in both the Q1 and Q2 seasons. The top 10 was completed by Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Strategies will be interesting with the option of going one or two stops in the race on Sunday.

Missing out in Q2 were Jarno Trulli, Romain Grosjean, Robert Kubica, Giancarlo Fisichella and Nick Heidfeld. The two BMWs both broke down during the session. It was a disappointing showing for Fisichella in his first race for Ferrari, although it was a great deal better than the effort of Luca Badoer in the last two races.

Q1 got rid of Timo Glock's Toyota, the two Williams-Toyotas and the two Toro Rossos.