• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Italian Grand Prix Preview

Sep 9, 2007 - 10:24 AM

September 9, 2007 
Autodromo Nationale di Monza 
Monza, Italy 
Race 13 of 17 in Grand Prix Series

Laps: 53 
Track length: 3.58 miles 
Race length: 190 miles

Lap Record: Rubens Barrichello, 1:21.046 (2004)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Fernando Alonso (Spain)
Team: McLaren 
2007 Points: 79 (2nd)

Finished third at the Turkish Grand Prix and now trails rookie
teammate and points leader Lewis Hamilton by five points; ran
fourth in Hungary prior to that; won the Grand Prix of Europe to
climb within two points of Hamilton on July 22; has finished in
the top five in 10 of 12 starts this season; finished seventh
at both the French and Canadian Grands Prix; placed second at
the Santander British Grand Prix and was runner-up to Hamilton
at Indianapolis; won at Monaco and ran third at hometown Spanish
Grand Prix; stormed to an easy victory at Malaysia and
registered a second-place finish in his McLaren debut at
Australia, finishing 7.2 seconds behind Kimi Raikkonen; retired
from this race a year ago.


Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
Team: McLaren 
2007 Points: 80 (1st)

The points leader finished fifth in Turkey two weeks after
winning the Hungarian Grand Prix and now leads teammate Alonso
by five points; finished ninth at the Grand Prix of Europe; took
third in back-to-back races at the British Grand Prix and
Magny-Cours, after making history at Canada where he became the
first black driver to win a Formula One race; followed that
victory in Canada by winning the United States Grand Prix;
placed second in four consecutive races prior to his
back-to-back wins; rookie sensation has burst onto the circuit
by storm, running third at Australia and placing second at
Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain and Monaco; finished 18 seconds behind
Alonso at Malaysia and is first rookie in series history since
1964 to capture podium finishes in his first three races; also
is the first black driver in series history; has finished among
the top five in all but one start this year.


Nick Heidfeld (Germany)
Team: BMW Sauber 
2007 Points: 47 (5th)

Finished fourth in Turkey and third in Hungary following
consecutive sixth-place finishes over the previous two races to
remain fifth place in the points standings; still seeking first
win of the season; opened the year with three consecutive fourth
place finishes at Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain; had best
race of the season at Canada where he finished second; forced to
retire at Spain and the United States Grand Prix; has seven
top-five finishes in 12 starts this year; finished eighth in
this event last season.


Felipe Massa (Brazil)
Team: Ferrari 
2007 Points: 69 (3rd)

Bounced back from a 13th-place finish at Hungary by winning in
Turkey; to move back into third in the standings, 11 points
behind Hamilton; leads Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen by just a
point; posted a runner-up finish at the Grand Prix of Europe
after slipping to fourth place following a fifth place finish
British Grand Prix; was runner-up to Raikkonen at Magny-Cours;
also was black-flagged at Canada; ran third at Indianapolis and
Monaco after capturing two straight checkered flags at Bahrain
and Spain; finished fifth at Malaysia; kicked off his campaign
with a sixth place at Australia; has eight top five finishes in
11 starts this season; finished ninth at this race last year.


Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Team: Ferrari 
2007 Points: 68 (4th)

Finished second at Turkey, following a runner-up finish Hungary,
but remains a point behind third-place teammate Massa in the
standings; retired from the Grand Prix of Europe after
consecutive checkered flag wins at the British Grand Prix and
Magny-Cours; his three wins tie Alonso and Hamilton for the most
on the circuit this season and he has nine top-five finishes in
12 starts; finished fourth at Indianapolis and fifth at Canada;
struggled to eighth place at Monaco and retired due to
electrical problems at Spain, dropping him from first to fourth
in the standings; had a dazzling debut with new team Ferrari,
capturing the checkered flag in the season opener at Australia;
joined Ferrari after spending the last five years with McLaren;
finished second in this event last year to Michael Schumacher.


2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari
 2. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, McLaren-Mercedes
 3. Robert Kubica, Poland, Sauber-BMW
 4. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Renault
 5. Jenson Button, Great Britain, BAR-Honda 
 6. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Ferrari
 7. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota 
 8. Nick Heidfeld, Germany , Sauber-BMW
 9. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Sauber-Petronas
10. Mark Webber, Australia, Williams-Cosworth 


Past Champions
--------------

2006  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2005  Juan Pablo Montoya, McLaren-Mercedes
2004  Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari
2003  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2002  Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari
2001  Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams BMW
2000  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1999  Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jordan Mugen-Honda
1998  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1997  David Coulthard, McLaren Mercedes
1996  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1995  Johnny Herbert, Benetton
1994  Damon Hill, Williams
1993  Damon Hill, Williams
1992  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1991  Nigel Mansell, Williams
1990  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1989  Alain Prost, McLaren
1988  Gerhard Berger, Ferrari
1987  Nelson Piquet, Williams
1986  Nelson Piquet, Williams
1985  Alain Prost, McLaren
1984  Niki Lauda, McLaren