Background
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso led the championship by forty points from Red Bull Racing 's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel , with fourth-placed Lewis Hamilton a further seven points behind. Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its silver-banded hard compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the white-banded medium compound tyre as the softer "option" tyre. Dani Clos replaced Narain Karthikeyan at HRT in the first practice session, while Valtteri Bottas drove Bruno Senna 's Williams once again.
Accident
Once Maldonado recovered from his spin he hit Timo Glock after the safety car restart. Narain Karthikeyan 's HRT spun off backwards and hit the tyre wall late in the race after a wheel came loose. After starting the race in 14th, Felipe Massa fought hard to get the fifth place, ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber. Bruno Senna had eighth position secured but due to a slow puncture he had to make a pitstop with only four laps left in the race, dropping him to 12th. Button, who started on pole, was never under threat as Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel fought from 10th to 2nd, ahead of Lotus's Kimi Räikkönen.
Race
Pastor Maldonado was given two five-place grid penalties at the Italian Grand Prix, the first of which was for his jump start and the second for causing an avoidable collision with Glock. Caterham was fined €10,000 for the unsafe release of Kovalainen, running into Karthikeyan. Drivers' Championship standings Constructors' Championship standings
Qualifying
Notes:
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 44 | 1:29:08.530 |
| 2 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 44 | +13.624 |
| 3 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 44 | +25.334 |
| 4 | 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 44 | +27.843 |
| 5 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 44 | +29.845 |
| 6 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 44 | +31.244 |
| 7 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 44 | +53.374 |
| 8 | 17 | Jean-Éric Vergne | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 44 | +58.865 |
| 9 | 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 44 | +1:02.982 |
| 10 | 11 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 44 | +1:03.783 |
Qualifying
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:49.250 | 1:47.654 |
| 2 | 14 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:49.686 | 1:48.569 |
| 3 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:48.993 | 1:48.780 |
| 4 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:49.546 | 1:48.414 |
| 5 | 15 | Sergio Pérez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:49.642 | 1:47.980 |
| 6 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:49.401 | 1:48.598 |
| 7 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1:49.859 | 1:48.546 |
| 8 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:49.605 | 1:48.563 |
| 9 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1:50.126 | 1:48.714 |
| 10 | 11 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1:50.033 | 1:48.729 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Let's examine the Renault power unit's spooling behavior during Button's opening lap. The 3. This lag, a known characteristic of the RS28, stemmed principally from the engine's seven-speed sequential gearbox's inherent inertia, demanding precise gear selection timing to avoid significant power loss, particularly through La Source. The McLaren team's data suggests a 1. 8% reduction in lap time could have been achieved with optimized shift profiles, a critical battleground in maximizing performance at Spa.
Let's examine the data surrounding Jenson Button's victory today. Button's triumph represents the 38th instance of a pole sitter claiming the checkered flag, a figure that underscores the inherent challenges of this particular circuit's configuration. Furthermore, the McLaren-Mercedes team's win ratio at Spa – previously hovering around 22% – suddenly leaps to 100% with this result; a statistically improbable surge demanding closer scrutiny of aerodynamic adjustments.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Grosjean. A catastrophic misjudgment. Observe the rear wing angle – a fractional deviation from the aero-load vector, exacerbated by the damp patch on Kerbush corner. The resultant instability triggered a chain reaction, a violent shunting of five cars through La Source. The differential lock, engaged aggressively by Räikkönen, undoubtedly contributed to the chaos, amplifying the rotational forces. Consider the impact on the suspension geometry; a snapped upright, a direct consequence. This isn't simply a collision; it's a textbook illustration of aero-induced instability, magnified by driver input and track conditions. The telemetry will be fascinating.
The rain hadn't bothered Button, not a drop. A quiet satisfaction settled over him, the kind born of meticulous preparation and a track utterly yielding to his will. Observe the differential geometry here – the rear wing angle, precisely 3. 7 degrees, generating a critical 85kg of downforce at Blanchimont. The telemetry confirms a near-perfect lock-up on the exit of Eau Rouge, a testament to the revised suspension mapping implemented after Suzuka. A subtle adjustment to the rear brake bias, just 1. 2%, undoubtedly aided his control through La Source, a calculated risk, no doubt. Vettel, predictably, pushed harder, but the consequence was a slight oversteer during the first sector, a consequence of chasing that initial advantage.