Tyres were the main talking point yet again as the F1 teams arrived at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix – but this time with good news.
The word is Italian brand Pirelli is set to ink a new five-year contract as the supplier of the control tyres used in Formula 1. While there is now word yet on the race format or tyre construction for next year's debut of the new 1.5-litre turbocharged V6 engine rules, at least the F1 teams know there is some stability on the tyre front after months of speculation and the farce of spectacular tyre failures at the British Grand Prix.
Other pit-lane gossip suggests Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg is off to Ferrari next year to replace Brazilian Felipe Massa. Not without irony, Massa was sensational on Saturday – out-qualifying his team-mate Fernando Alonso – while Hulkenberg provided a mercurial drive in Sunday’s race, bringing the struggling Sauber home in fifth place.
Gearboxes were also a talking point at Monza – with problems surfacing for the Red Bulls of runaway World Championship leader Sebastian Vettel and Aussie Mark Webber. Both had components replaced under parc ferme conditions following qualifying (a complete gearbox change would have dispatched them to the rear of the field) but both encountered problems in the 53-lap race (Vetell in the higher gears and Webber in the lower ratios).
But the fact is Vettel recorded a lights-to-flag win at Monza and is virtually a lock-in for the 2013 championship. Gearbox matters aside, Vettel’s only issue in the race came at the start when he flat-spotted his right-front tyre after locking brakes into turn one – he soldiered on until the scheduled tyre stop.
The Red Bull driver crossed the line 5.4-seconds ahead of Alonso’s Ferrari with Webber third, three seconds ahead of Massa. Nico Rosberg finished best of the Mercedes-Benz runners in sixth place ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo in the Torro Rosso.
