F1 Fanatic

Fernando Alonso will start from pole position for Ferrari in tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix.

With Jenson Button taking second place for McLaren there is no Red Bull on the front row for the first time this year.

Felipe Massa took third place ahead of Mark Webber.

Q1

Timo Glock was the first driver out on the track but that didn’t mean he could enjoy a traffic-free run. Renault inexplicably sent Vitaly Petrov out just in time to hold up Glock as the Virgin driver reached the first chicane.

An engine problem on Vitantonio Liuzzi’s car left him stuck in 18th place and unable to progress into Q2.

The Lotus pair managed to beat Liuzzi’s time before the end of the session to take 18th but was over a second behind the next driver.

Felipe Massa was the fastest driver in the first part of qualifying ahead of his team mate and the two McLarens.

Q2

Unusually, Hamilton went out on soft tyres at the start of Q2 while his principal title rivals went out on hards. They all returned to the track after their first runs to try a lap on soft tyres.

Alonso didn’t need to, because his lap on hard tyres was quicker than Hamilton’s on softs. Hamilton ended the session third behind his team mate, who improved to second with his soft tyre lap.

Mercedes power failed to help Adrian Sutil and Michael Schumacher into the top ten – they ended up 11th and 12th.

The two Saubers and Toro Rossos were also knocked out, along with Petrov.

Q3

The Ferraris, McLarens and Red Bulls all headed out together at the start of the final ten minutes for the qualifying showdown.

Alonso became the first man to dip under the 1’22 mark, setting a 1’21.962. Meanwhile Hamilton made a mistake at the Roggia chicane, leaving him fourth behind Massa and Button.

Massa stayed out for another lap while the rest pitted, but he wasn’t able to move up from third place.

Alonso’s time proved so good that he couldn’t do any better on his next effort. Fortunately for him, nor could anyone else. Button improved to a 1’22.084 to cement second place while Massa held third.

A late improvement from Mark Webber moved him up to fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton and team mate Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull failed to get a car on the front row for the first time since last year’s Italian Grand Prix.

Full qualifying times

2010 Italian Grand Prix

• Technical review: Italian Grand Prix
• Jamey Price watches the Italian Grand Prix at Monza
• Hamilton: “I could have done some passing”
• Sutil: “I was in the wrong place everywhere”
• Hülkenberg’s drive “his best to date”
• 2010 Italian Grand Prix – the complete F1 Fanatic race weekend review
• Who was the best driver of the Italian Grand Prix weekend? (Poll)
• Late scare with de la Rosa can’t keep Alonso from victory (Ferrari race review)
• Set-up gamble pays off for Button as Hamilton crashes (McLaren race review)
• Vettel recovers to surprise fourth after mid-race drama (Red Bull race review)

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