Races Review: Podium hat trick in Monza's downpour

By BMW Sauber F1 Team
December 31 2008

Variable weather conditions meant that qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix was a lottery, with the race itself being no less eventful. Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, though, managed to catapult forward through the field thanks to their one-stop strategies. In the process Robert secured the BMW Sauber F1 Team's third successive podium place.

The race on the "Autodromo Nazionale di Monza" is considered one of the all-time classics on the Formula One fixtures calendar. Fittingly, the 2008 edition was incident-packed from beginning to end. Rain storms reminiscent of tropical monsoons covered the track with water during the first timed practice session. The drivers were granted drier moments during the second session, enabling Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld to underscore the team's good form for Monza with second- and third-fastest times respectively.

However, it was clear during the rain-swept qualifying session that car performance was secondary, and that large portions of luck would be required in order to secure strong grid positions. While Nick managed the leap into the top-ten shootout, Robert was, in common with many top drivers, eliminated early. His eleventh place on the grid enabled him to nominate his fuel load for the race - his final decision being a full tank and a one-stop strategy. The team sent Nick into the final qualifying cut with the same tactic in mind, meaning he could only qualify his heavy BMW Sauber F1.08 tenth, but giving high hopes for a successful race.

Shortly before the start of the race the heavens above Monza opened once more, causing the race to be started behind the safety-car. When the race proper was started after two laps, the drivers - with the exception of pole starter Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) - were forced to contend with terrible visibility. "When I overtook Nick in the first chicane I did so without even seeing him," reported Robert afterwards. It became clear early on in the race that a steady, error-free drive would pay dividends.

The two BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers went to work with utmost concentration and adapted superbly to the variable conditions. During the race the track dried out, which played into the hands of Robert and Nick. As a result of their extremely long first stints, both were able to switch from full wet tyres to intermediates at precisely the right point of the race. Nick was amongst the first to make the change while most of his immediate opposition required an additional stop, enabling him to secure four additional points for the team with his fifth place.

For Robert things went even better. After his tyre change he settled for third, which place he defended without problems through to the end of the race. The sensation of moving from eleventh on the grid to the podium was an absolute novelty for the Pole, who had never experienced anything like it in his Formula One career. The joy of the team's tenth podium place was combined with accolades for Vettel: at 21 years of age the former test and reserve driver for the team from Munich and Hinwil became the youngest-ever winner of a Grand Prix.