page_title: 2008 Italian Grand Prix
section_title: Race
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 Italian Grand Prix / Race
caption_attribution_description: English: Felipe Massa at 2008 Italian Grand Prix
context_page_description: The 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 September 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The 53-lap race was won by Sebastian Vettel for the Toro Rosso team after starting from pole position. Heikki Kovalainen finished second in a McLaren, and Robert Kubica third in a BMW Sauber.
  Vettel began the race, started under the safety car, ahead of Kovalainen in second. Red Bull's Mark Webber started from third. Rain early in the race allowed Vettel to establish a solid lead over Kovalainen, which he extended as the track dried. Kubica and Fernando Alonso finished in the top four after starting from 11th and eighth, respectively. McLaren driver and Drivers' Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was able to move through the field after qualifying in 15th, finishing in seventh, one place behind rival Felipe Massa, of Ferrari.
  Vettel's victory made him the youngest driver to win a Formula One race, at 21 years 73 days in addition to giving Toro Rosso its maiden Formula One win despite using a 2007-spec engine.
context_section_description: Heavy rain prior to the race made the track very slippery, with more rain expected throughout the day. The air temperature at the track was 14 °C (57 °F). Jenson Button and Kazuki Nakajima started the race from the pit-lane, their teams choosing to make adjustments from qualifying to the set-ups of their cars. All cars were using extreme wet-weather tyres. The race began at 14:00 local time (UTC+1) behind the safety car because of the rain, meaning that there would be a rolling start. Bourdais' car stalled on the grid, and was pushed back to the pits. By the time his team restarted the car, he was in last position and one lap down.
  The safety car pulled into the pit-lane at the end of the second lap. Vettel retained his lead into the first corner, followed by Kovalainen, Webber, Rosberg and Massa. Kubica passed Heidfeld at the first chicane; Glock passed Alonso later in the lap. Vettel immediately opened a lead of two seconds over Kovalainen; the McLaren driver experienced visibility problems as a result of the spray off the back of the Toro Rosso. Alonso regained seventh from Glock when he passed him at the first chicane on lap four as the track began to dry. Räikkönen and Hamilton passed Coulthard on the same lap to take 12th and 13th positions, respectively. The next lap, Hamilton attempted to pass Räikkönen at the third corner, but overshot, cutting the chicane. Emerging ahead of the Ferrari, he gave the place back, returning the advantage and avoiding a penalty. Glock spun on lap seven, losing one place to Kubica.
  Vettel continued to open his lead on Kovalainen; by lap eight it stood at 6.3 seconds. Both Räikkönen and Hamilton passed Fisichella in separate manoeuvres over the next two laps. Hamilton took 11th position from Räikkönen on lap 11, outbraking the Ferrari at turn four. Fisichella collided with Coulthard two laps later. As a result of the contact, the Force India's front wing broke loose and lodged under the car. Consequently, Fisichella lost control at turn nine, spinning into the gravel trap and retiring. Massa overtook Rosberg for fourth on the same lap, beginning a close fight where both drivers repeatedly exchanged positions over the next three laps. Massa eventually consolidated fourth position on lap 15. Hamilton passed Heidfeld, Glock, Kubica and Alonso in separate manoeuvres, to sit in seventh by lap 19.
  Vettel pitted from first position on lap 18. Kovalainen, Webber and Massa pitted four laps later. Light rain began to fall on lap 26, though only lasted five minutes. Glock, Trulli, Räikkönen and Hamilton completed their first pit stops over the following laps. Coulthard was the first driver to try intermediate wet-weather tyres when he pitted on lap 28. He lost grip in the wet and went straight through the first chicane. Alonso, Heidfeld, Kubica and Piquet took their only pit stops for the race soon after, all changing to intermediate tyres. By lap 36 the majority of the field were running on intermediate tyres. Webber was passed at turn eight by Massa on lap 35. The Australian spun after the corner, though managed to retain seventh position. A lap later, however, Hamilton outbraked Webber at turn three and demoted the Red Bull driver to eighth.
  Hamilton began lapping fastest, recording a 1:32.869 on lap 38, more than a second faster than first-placed Vettel. Lap 45 saw three drivers set consecutive new fastest laps; Kubica's 1:32.366 was beaten by Webber with a 1:32.014s. They were then superseded by Räikkönen, who set a 1:31.691. On lap 49 Webber attempted to pass Hamilton at the first chicane, but the two cars touched wheels. Webber was forced down the escape road, and when he emerged in front of Hamilton, he returned the position. Räikkönen continued to move through the field; he passed Coulthard and Piquet in separate manoeuvres to take ninth position. Nakajima attempted to pass Coulthard into turn nine, but succeeded only in turning into the Red Bull RB4, sending it into the gravel trap. Coulthard pitted for a new front wing, which dropped him to 17th. Vettel crossed the finish line on lap 
caption: Felipe Massa narrowed his gap to Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers' Championship
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