The Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix, which takes place at the Monza circuit, is an important event for the tifosi; that is, Scuderia Ferrari fans, who want to see the red cars win on their home ground.
This year, two Ferrari-powered cars were on the podium. Sadly for the Italians, only one of them was a Ferrari: that of Fernando Alonso, and it managed only third place.
Sergio Perez and his Ferrari-powered Sauber did an amazing race and finished ahead of the Spaniard in second place. It was an remarkable result for the Mexican driver, who started in 12th place on hard tires but did a “maximum attack” long first stint.
“It was really enjoyable, one of those races where you have the pace and you are the one attacking”, said Perez, who towards the finish of the race started to close in on the leader.
The McLaren of Lewis Hamilton, though, who started from pole, was quick enough to manage the gap and finish 4.3 seconds ahead of Perez.
Still, Alonso himself considered the Italian Grand Prix to be “an absolutely perfect Sunday” for him. That’s because, despite losing to Hamilton, he came out of the race leading the drivers’ championship by 37 points.
Moreover, one of his main rivals for the 2012, Sebastian Vettel, got a drive-through penalty when he pushed Alonso’s Ferrari off to the grass on the Curva Grande. The stewards decided that his move warranted a drive-through penalty, which Vettel thought was unfair. “I think I left enough room”, said the German. “I don’t know what really happened to Fernando. I just saw that the next time I checked the mirror his was in the dirt.”
Alonso eventually got b, and more good news came when Vettel’s Red Bull retired due to a faulty alternator. With Felipe Massa bringing in the second prancing horse in a solid fourth place, Alonso was probably right: victory may have eluded him, but it was a very good weekend both for him and for the team as far as the 2012 championship is concerned.
