This was supposed to be one of Red Bull’s weakest circuits. No straightline pace. This was supposed to be a golden opportunity for the gritty power of Ferrari and McLaren to glisten in the Italian summer sun. But after putting his RB7 on the pole by 0.5s — despite ranking dead last of all 24 cars through the speed traps on the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza’s long straights — Sebastian Vettel delivered a daring outside pass of Alonso’s Ferrari at the incomparable Curva Grande that is already the stuff of legend.
Anyone who says there is no more overtaking in modern Formula One is now, officially, a Luddite.
Sebatsian Vettel flicked left, to the outside. Into the unknown. In his Italia 150 Fernando Alonso was shocked, of course. He squeezed Seb a little; he invited Seb to lift his right foot just a fraction. This was a Ferrari Seb was attempting to pass on the outside of the Curva Grande. At Monza. At the sharp end of the Italian GP.
Seb didn’t lift. Not a millimeter. At 180 mph he ran wide at the exit, onto the grass, kicking up a plume of dust with his outside wheels into the face of Schumacher. As they approached the braking area, Seb had the line. He was now on the inside. Fernando would be forced to submit. He had pulled off the pass. The Italian Grand Prix was already won.