2009 Italian Grand Prix stats and facts
From start to finish, Barrichello averaged 241kph to win the Italian Grand Prix
Yesterday’s race was the 80th running of the Italian Grand Prix, and the 60th time it has been a world championship event.
So it was fitting that the ‘temple of speed’ served up another of the fastest races of all time – and it was won by the sport’s oldest practitioner.
Here are the facts and stats from the Italian Grand Prix, plus a teaser for you to tackle…
Fastest races
The Italian Grand Prix was the eighth-fastest F1 championship round of all time. Rubens Barrichello completed the race at an average speed of 241.000kph (149.7mph) to the nearest thousandth.
That was 6.586kph slower than the fastest race ever, also at Monza back in 2003 – when engines had two cylinders more and the aerodynamic regulations were far less restrictive. Of the 23 fastest F1 races ever, 21 took place at Monza, the other two on the original Spa-Francorchamps.
This was also the 14th shortest race ever at 1hr 16’21.706s. This year’s curtailed Malaysian Grand Prix was the third shortest race of all time.
Wins and one-twos
Barrichello won his 11th Grand Prix, putting him level with Jacques Villeneuve and Felipe Massa. It was also the 50th time Barrichello has led a Grand Prix.
Barrichello won the Italian Grand Prix for the third time – his other wins were for Ferrari in 2002 and 2004. Only two drivers have won the Italian Grand Prix more than three times: Michael Schumacher (five times) and Nelson Piquet (four times).
Second place for Jenson Button gave Brawn their fourth one-two finish. It was the first one led by Barrichello.
Lewis Hamilton headed the grid for the 15th time in his F1 career, giving him as many pole positions as Massa.
Adrian Sutil claimed the fastest lap of the race with a 1’24.739 on lap 36. This was his and Force India’s first fastest lap. He also achieved his highest grid position (second) and best finishing position (fourth). Second and seventh on the grid was Force India’s best qualifying performance so far.
Hamilton and Sutil shared the front row of the grid for the first time since an F3 Euroseries race at Zandvoort in August 2005 when they were team mates at ASM.
That Heidfeld record, again…
Nico Rosberg’s points-scoring streak came to an end after eight races.
Nick Heidfeld continues to increase his tallies in the Least Interesting F1 Records Ever: he has now been classified in 41 consecutive races and has finished the last 33 in a row. Rosberg has now become the driver with the second largest number of consecutive finishes and classifications, with 25.
As mentioned several times in the build-up to the race, this was the first appearance for an Italian in Italy in a Ferrari since 1994, thanks to Giancarlo Fisichella.
The previous race in Spa was almost certainly Luca Badoer’s final appearance in an F1 Grand Prix. His two-race stint at Ferrari served only to increase his existing record for ‘most starts without a point scored’ to 51 races.
This was the 60th Italian Grand Prix that counted towards the world championship. All of these took place at Monza except the 1980 race, which was held at Imola. The British Grand Prix is the only other event on the calendar to have appeared every year since the championship began in 1950.
Including non-championship races, this was the 80th Italian Grand Prix. The first was held at a circuit called Montichiari, near Brescia, in 1921.
But by the following year the Autodromo Nazionale Monza had been built and the race moved there.
Over to you
One stat I haven’t been able to pin down in was was the last time a driver was shown the black-and-orange flag, as Robert Kubica was on lap eight.
Please post any suggestions in the comments, along with any other stats I failed to spot with my anorak gaze…
More on the Italian Grand Prix
- Barrichello leads one-two as Brawn are back on top (Italian Grand Prix)
- Italian Grand Prix in pictures
- Rate the race: Italian Grand Prix
- Italian Grand Prix result
- Rate the race: Italian Grand Prix
- Hamilton’s light car leaves him vulnerable (Italian GP fuel weights and strategy)
- Lewis Hamilton beats Adrian Sutil to pole (Italian Grand Prix qualifying)
- Italian Grand Prix qualifying in pictures
Noel said on 14th September 2009, 7:26
Two -more- cylinders, Keith? :)
Lustigson said on 14th September 2009, 7:31
Exactly. I don’t remember there ever being V-twins in F1. ;-)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 14th September 2009, 8:51
Yes, two cylinders more, sorry.
sato113 said on 14th September 2009, 14:17
keith wasn’t it 2004 that would have produced the fastest monza speed? because that was the year when most of the lap records were set…
sumedh said on 14th September 2009, 15:48
It should have been, but the 2004 race was held in wet conditions. The Ferraris started at the front then went back, and came back to the front again.
But the speeds weren’t as high owing to the rain.
sato113 said on 14th September 2009, 19:38
aha, cheers! so 2004 has been the fastest year of formula one right? if so, why?
sumedh said on 14th September 2009, 7:30
The least number of pitstops by a team finishing 1-2. Just 2!!
Also possibly, the least number of pitstops in a races held after 1990 (recent times, I mean)
Lustigson said on 14th September 2009, 7:30
And then to think that some in the Formula One Teams Association want shorter races. The outrage! What’s their goal? Monza within the hour?
I vote for longer races: a minimum 350 km distance in stead of the current 305. That would make races only 9 to 11 laps longer, while still taking them to 90-105 minutes length.
In my book, this was the first appearance for an Italian in a Ferrari since, well… the last race. ;-)
If you meant the last time an Italian race a Ferrari in the Italian Grand Prix, that was Ivan Capelli in 1992, while the last time an Italian raced a Ferrari on Italian soil, that was Nicola Larini at the fateful San Marino GP in 1994.
Other than that, keep up the good work! :-)
Bleu said on 14th September 2009, 7:38
I think the race distance should take account the time taken. So that race in Monza would be significanyly longer in distance than race in Hungaroring. Now it’s only Monaco which has shorter distance.
Rikadyn said on 14th September 2009, 8:56
make them timed races, each GP is 2hrs, really make pit strategy interesting if we were to ever go back to refueling
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 14th September 2009, 8:59
No, thank you.
Rikadyn said on 14th September 2009, 9:26
I think current races are too short really for there to be any real strategy done, refueling isn’t the problem, the 93,000 other rules are the problem
manatcna said on 15th September 2009, 0:33
Yes please
Martin said on 15th September 2009, 17:41
refeuling isnt an issue, its the speeds and the length. thedistances need to be alterred to make it closer to the 2hr. time limit..
I preffer the tracks with more speed such as monza , spa, silverstone and the old hochenheim. The newer tracks are for the most part uninteresting and if Tilke designed it, the race is almost always boring.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 14th September 2009, 8:54
In Italy, yes – have changed it :-)
Bleu said on 14th September 2009, 7:37
* In all Barrichello’s three Monza wins his team-mate has finished 2nd.
* Mark Webber’s retirement left three drivers who have finished every race of the season and all of them are German: Heidfeld, Rosberg and Glock.
* Damon Hill won at Monza in 1993 and 1994 – since then no one has two victories in a row in Italian GP.
- about the black/orange flag. Our pit commentator mentioned black/orange flag being shown for Michael Schumacher in Australian GP 2003 when his bargeboard was loose. However the cameras didn’t show it and Schumacher pitted for fuel and new tyres. Might have also been that organizers were just going to show it on a lap he pitted.
Ned Flanders said on 14th September 2009, 12:23
I also think it was Australia 2003 for Schumi’s bargeboard, but that is just from my memory, I can’t be bothered to check old race reports to find out for certain!
Alianora La Canta said on 15th September 2009, 0:02
Come to think of it, Ned, I believe you’re right. I was really annoyed because I couldn’t find any record of it in my annuals, but that incident rings a bell.
Tom said on 14th September 2009, 8:25
not sure about the last time the orange and black flag was waved but i can tell you last time it should have been: alonso in hungary this year and vettel in australia this year too.
Patrickl said on 14th September 2009, 8:52
How would they have been able to show that flag to Alonso? For Vettel they would have had to be pretty quick too. He did pass the start/finish line but only once.
I’d say Raikkonen should have gotten that flag at Magny Cours and after he pitted and the thing was still on, he should have been black flagged.
James_mc said on 14th September 2009, 9:36
Barichello in Australia had exactly the same damage ad Kubica yesterday as he preceded to barge everyone out of the way :-)
sato113 said on 14th September 2009, 10:56
I don’t think Barichello’s was quite as bad though. the whole of Kubica’s endplate was dangling off at monza.
Ned Flanders said on 14th September 2009, 12:27
If Barrichello’s wing had of been that badly damaged at Melbourne, he still wouldn’t have got thst penalty. Kubica was only flagged because the FIA has clamped down on incidents involving flying debris since the Surtees/ Massa incidents
sato113 said on 14th September 2009, 14:11
and that too ned. ;)
Rikadyn said on 14th September 2009, 8:52
So, what is the shortest(read fastest) Grand Prix that went the full race length?
ivz said on 14th September 2009, 9:17
With Sutil taking fastest lap, is it now 10 different drivers with fastest laps this season?
ajokay said on 14th September 2009, 9:35
Indeed it is. Glock, Vettel, Barrichello, Rosberg, Webber, Button, Trulli, Alonso, Massa, Sutil.
StrFerrari4Ever said on 14th September 2009, 18:06
Wow Kimi hasn’t had a fastest lap this year and last year he had 11 if I’m not mistaken.
Alianora La Canta said on 15th September 2009, 0:03
You have counted correctly, StrFerrari4Ever.
Robert said on 14th September 2009, 9:23
Here is one I came up with.
This is the first second place for Jenson Button since the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix. And who did he finish second to in that race? Rubens Barrichello.
Jenson has ever had three other second place finishes, all in 2004. Twice he finished second to Schumacher (San Marino and Germany) and once to Jarno Trulli in his only career win in Monaco.
Yorricksfriend said on 14th September 2009, 9:36
Heidfeld is now the only German driver in the field without a fastest lap this year.
David A said on 14th September 2009, 9:40
After 10 seasons without a safety car finish, yesterday’s was the 2nd this year, both resulting in Brawn 1-2s and both due to the driver in 3rd place crashing.
LewisC said on 14th September 2009, 11:26
Now that’s good.
I’m sure we had a safety car finish more recently than that though?
David A said on 14th September 2009, 15:20
To clarify, this was the first safety car finish at full distance since Canada 99. Brazil 03 and Malaysia 09 ended under the safety car, but the race distance was cut short on both occasions.
SonyJunkie said on 14th September 2009, 16:19
Was Australia 09 not full race distance?
I thought the final 3 laps were behind the Safety Car, maybe I’m wrong.
Jonny said on 14th September 2009, 16:21
I think you’ll find no race can finish under the safety car – it can only finish under safety car conditions. This is what happened in Australia this year (2009) because the safety may come in on that lap, but racing (and overtaking)only resumes after the start/finish line.
Journeyer said on 14th September 2009, 10:07
Has anyone noticed that this is Kimi Raikkonen’s 4th consecutive podium? And they’ve all come since Massa’s injury.
eF-0nE said on 14th September 2009, 10:23
what are the chances that Kubica in 4 consecutive races, not will to be every time move 10 positions to the rear. ?
djdaveyp said on 14th September 2009, 10:45
This has been quite a low “for sure” weekend.
In fact i think rubens barrichello has replaced it with “i mean” i lost count during his interview after the race!
The only two people I heard use for sure were jenson and stefano dominicalli!
Also I though Sutils little “Not Yet!” comment was legendary!
Sush Meerkat said on 14th September 2009, 16:06
Actually since Massa’s accident the whole Ferrari team have pulled their resources together to keep their For Sure title hopes up, even Chris Dyer was “For Sure”‘ing when interviewed a few races ago.
fminas said on 14th September 2009, 10:51
About the black-and-orange flag I think the last time was in Australia when it was shown to Michael Schumacher for his barge-board.
sumedh said on 14th September 2009, 11:03
If Roger Federer wins the Men’s title, then all the big winners this weekend would be parents.
1. Rubens Barrichello
2. Kim Clijsters
3. Roger Federer
Its quite off-topic, but it rarely happens, doesn’t it?
Damon said on 14th September 2009, 11:29
WHAT??
Charlie said on 14th September 2009, 12:07
And they’re all children too yeah? Everybody is somebody’s baby.
mm said on 14th September 2009, 12:58
Being a child and being a parent is not the same. One is always true. One is not.