Why did Ferrari win?

[Veyron]

After all the tyre controversy which had a definite effect on the Michelin teams, and considering the configuration of Monza as opposed to Hungary, I thought I would get opinions of the Monza result. Do you think the new tyres gave the Michelin teams a disadvantage at this track?

[ales]

Well, if anything, in Monza a narrower tyre is an advantage, as say a lot of team chiefs. Probably a combination of things. Besides, I'd like to know if JPM had some sort of a problem.

[Veyron]

Good point, and keep in mind MS was in front of JPM the whole way, before any car problems it seems.

[ales]

Originally Posted by Veyron

Good point, and keep in mind MS was in front of JPM the whole way, before any car problems it seems.

And according to JPM there was no problem with the car - he just backed off at the end and palyed it safe. And he also said that the tyres had nothing to to with him coming second today, he attributed it more to the configuration of the circuit which, according to him, suit Ferrari more than Williams this year.

[Veyron]

That's a relief, I feared a big backlash with fans and media laying blame. With JPM putting it to rest right in the post race interview, what can anyone say?

[tegusdrifter]

Originally Posted by Veyron

That's a relief, I feared a big backlash with fans and media laying blame. With JPM putting it to rest right in the post race interview, what can anyone say?

JPM blamed Trulli for holding him back after the third pit stop. Such a lame excuse.

[z33guy]

I think for the people that dont know better, they are going to blame it on the tires. If that was the case then michelin teams shouldve have finished second and rubens wouldnt have finished third. I think it was just a better track for ferrari

[hakka]

I think Monza just suits Ferrari...for some reason, I just can't believe that 16mm made that big of a difference.

[gnasha]

At long last this tyre case seem to have fade away and it was a pretty good race. Brilliant fight at the start between MS and JPM. How much skills those two guys got to keep so close in the first chicane without touching each other. I wished I could have been the same at the end, but that's a good choice from JPM to secure the points as the next GP should be better suited for the Williams.

[RallyRaider]

Originally Posted by tegusdrifter

JPM blamed Trulli for holding him back after the third pit stop. Such a lame excuse.

Surely you jest, Trulli blew up on the first lap

Can only hope Monza favoured the Ferraristone package and that Willaims will be on top in the last two races. Otherwise I don't think I'll bother with F1 in the future.

[Dirk Diggler]

I saw the Saubers holding JPM a couple of times.

[freakray]

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

I saw the Saubers holding JPM a couple of times.

Well that would have been Heidfeld or Frenzten then.

Trulli was out so early in the race(read: first lap) the only thing he would have held up was the umbrella for the pit girls

[ales]

It was actually Baumgartner that JPM complained most about (couldn't even remember his name LOL! ). And he wasn't held back *that* much for it to be the only reason not to try to stick as close behind MS as he could to try to force him onto a mistake and then capitalise. It's either, as you say, throwing the toys out of pram, which is childish, but somehow expected from JPM (see France this year), but it could be that he actually started using his head and decided not to risk, afterall, it's just 2 points. In my opinion he overused it though - he should have tried to catch up again and hoped MS woud make a mistake. Ralf did in France, but Juan was not there to take advantage. Anyway, thank you the new points system. Seems like all of the top runners enjoyed its advantages at one time or another, yet the fans were deprived of what could have been a great race finish.

[tegusdrifter]

Originally Posted by RallyRaider

Surely you jest, Trulli blew up on the first lap

Can only hope Monza favoured the Ferraristone package and that Willaims will be on top in the last two races. Otherwise I don't think I'll bother with F1 in the future.

Sorry for the wrong information, I was sleepy when I posted it but Juan Pablo did blame it on the traffic.


Juan Pablo, could we have that first lap from your point of view?
JPM: I think it was pretty good. Michael went for the inside, I went for the outside. He braked quite a bit earlier than me and made up a lot of ground but when I came out of the chicane I was a lot tighter than him to make the corner so I didn’t hit him and he just had better acceleration. On the first set of tyres, it was OK but my pace wasn’t that good. I lost quite a bit of ground. In the second stint we made up a lot of ground, and in the last one we were pretty close and then got traffic. Twice I lost a lot of time and then behind the second Jordan driver I just lost so much time that I said just pace myself and get to the end.

Did you actually face bad driving in traffic, or was it just the luck of the draw?
JPM: Just very slow backmarkers that didn’t move out of the way, put it that way. But you know, I think it would have been very hard to pass Michael anyway.

[RallyRaider]

Originally Posted by tegusdrifter

Sorry for the wrong information, I was sleepy when I posted it but Juan Pablo did blame it on the traffic.

JPM: I think it would have been very hard to pass Michael anyway.

Blame what? Costing him time - yes. Coming second - no.

In hindsight the race was decided in qualifying. With Michael taking pole and starting on the clean line Montoya wasn't able to exploit the superior Williams launch control and get past at the start. After that it was a typical Monza procession.

Williams played it conservative during the pit stops, not trying a short refuel on the same lap that Schumacher stopped. That would have been their only chance, but with the point system they must have figured it was better to stay in sequence and hold on to the eight points they had. Especially if Williams really think they will be back in front in the last two races.