This is the final video before my departure for Singapore GP. Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel get their names wrong, look at the track from about 300 metres above the ground, conduct a business meeting and then take a short trishaw ride to the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel to fix themselves a glass of Singapore Sling. We may have to wait till next season who is the better driver, but you can find out now which one of these two is a better bartender.

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Sebastian Vettel, 2008 Italian GP

This was a funny Formula 1 weekend. Rain in Monza turned this classic but recently often processional race into a grand theater. As expected, we have a first time Monza winner. But few would have expected that this would be Sebastian Vettel - now the youngest ever Formula 1 race winner (and pole position holder). This was also the first time since 1957 German GP (win for Maseratti) that Italian team other than Ferrari won Formula 1 race.

It is often the case that when we have a surprise winner it is a fluke result. Just look back at Fisichella’s win in Brazil with Jordan or Panis’ win in Monaco with Ligier. Vettel’s Monza win doesn’t fit into this fluke category though. Yes, Vettel had luck on his side during the qualifying. But his and his team’s race performance was well worth the race win.

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It was a big day for both Sebastian Vettel and Scuderia Toro Rosso today in Monza. Here is a selection of photos (in high resolution if you click on the thumbnail and then again on the photo in case in does not show up large enough).

Photos: Red Bull/GEPA

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Sebastian Vettel, Monza 2008

Today for the first time since Shanghai 2006 the German / Italian national anthem combo played after Formula 1 race. It was not for Michael Schumacher, it was not for Ferrari. It was for Sebastian Vettel and Toro Rosso (formerly known as Minardi).

It was in November 2006, right after Sebastian Vettel was announced as 2007 BMW Sauber test driver, when I first time paid attention to this guy in Macau during the GP. It was summer 2007 when he scored his first F1 point after standing in for Robert Kubica in Indianapolis. It was in Japan last year when this guy cried last year after smashing into Mark Webber behind the safety car while perhaps set for the podium finish. It was in Shanghai 2007 where he scored his first Formula 1 points for Toro Rosso, it was also there in Shanghai where he almost crushed my hand while shaking it after the race .

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Sebastian Vettel became yesterday the youngest ever pole setter in Formula 1 history beating the previous record set by now 2 time world champion Fernando Alonso back in 2003 (Malaysian GP). This is also the very first time Toro Rosso car will start the race from the P1, a feat that the team never achieved in its previous life as Minardi. This is also only the first time any Red Bull car is on pole position. Here is the photogallery from the remarkable day for Scuderia Toro Rosso. Click on the thumbnails to open the high resolution files:

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Pole position for Sebastian Vettel

This has been one of the most thrilling qualifying sessions I can recall. The water kept coming down on the track and some big names got themselves in trouble. There were not too many surprises in Q1, except Fisichella taking Force India to Q2 for the first time ever. But then Q2 and the fun started. Several drivers got their laps together before the weather deteriorated, some left it too late … Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Robert Kubica were the big casualties. Felipe Massa was the last driver to actually do a lap that was good enough for top ten after Q2. For the second race in a row Nick Heidfeld outqualified Robert Kubica, for the 3rd race in a row both Toro Rosso cars advanced to Q3. And that wasn’t the end of the story …

Sebastian Vettel was the fastest guy on track in Q3 claiming his maiden Formula 1 pole position. Sebastien Bourdais completed the best day yet for Toro Rosso team with P4. Mark Webber, another member of the extended Red Bull family will start from P3.

The best placed driver from the top teams will be Heikki Kovalainen who will start from the front row, next to pole setter Vettel. Felipe Massa only qualified sixth.

Rain or shine it promises to be very exciting Sunday in Monza tomorrow…

Italian GP qualifying results:

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I mentioned the video of Mark Webber’s (and Sebastian Vettel’s) virtual lap around the Singapore Street Circuit in my Singapore GP update post yesterday. Here is the video.

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If for any reason the video in the above player does not load quickly enough, you may also watch it in the video collection at the F1WolfClub !

Yes, I know, it is Monza weekend ahead, but Singapore is coming up next !

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Singapore

We still have the final race of the European Formula 1 season before F1 moves to Asia, but there has been some news on Singapore GP (September 26-28, 2008). So before starting the previews of Italian GP, here are some updates on the first Formula 1 night race in Singapore as well as a video of a lap on this F1 night track:

The final schedule for Formula 1 sessions has been announced:

Friday: Practice 1 - 7pm to 8:30pm, Practice 2 - 9:30pm to 11pm
Saturday: Practice 3 - 7pm to 8pm, Qualifying 10pm - 11pm
Sunday: Race at 8pm

This means that now all Formula 1 sessions will be run after sunset giving the drivers more time to test in the night conditions.

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Felipe Massa, 2008 Belgian GP

So, we finally had a race that went to the wire. It actually went even further and the final result was amended about 2 hours after the race with 25 second penalties to Timo Glock (overtaking Webber under yellow flags) and the controversial one to Lewis Hamilton for cutting the chicane. The debate on that Hamilton’s penalty has already begun below another article. I wil focus this review more on the race action itself and later today post my take on the whole controversy.

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Sebastian Vettel will race for Red Bull racing from 2009 season alongside Mark Webber. The announcement was made today, ahead of Vettel’s home Grand Prix. This is what Christian Horner had to say:

“We are delighted that Sebastian will be joining us next year. With David Coulthard announcing his retirement as a Formula One driver a fortnight ago at the British Grand Prix, after careful consideration, it seemed natural to announce his replacement here at Sebastian’s home race in Hockenheim. As he was already part of the Red Bull family, choosing Sebastian as Mark Webber’s team-mate was not a difficult decision. However, we have always stated that our aim is to have the strongest available driver line-up and Vettel’s selection also matches these criteria.”

And here is a video of the big happy Red Bull family having fun - it involves jumping motorbike, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, David Coulthard, Franz Tost, few other faces and Hockenheim.

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These Red Bull guys keep coming up with interesting promo stunts…

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