The Italian Grand Prix at Monza, known as the Temple of Speed, delivered another exciting chapter in this year’s F1 Co-op season. Kruimel secured his ninth win of the season with a commanding performance, while The Captain’s second-place finish brought him within just four points of Alonso in the fight for second place in the drivers’ championship.
Qualifying: Aston Martin Lockout on the Front Row
Kruimel continued his scintillating form in qualifying, taking pole position with a time of 1:17.610. Alonso secured P2 with a solid lap but trailed his teammate by over three-tenths. Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari fans a glimmer of hope, qualifying P3, while The Captain settled for P4, positioning himself well for the long run to Turn 1.
Race Recap: Early Drama and Strategic Missteps
The Start: Alonso Takes Charge
At lights out, Alonso demonstrated his signature racecraft with a stunning start, overtaking Kruimel into Turn 1 to claim the lead. Behind them, The Captain executed a clean move on Leclerc in the opening chicane, taking P3. Lewis Hamilton also made gains, advancing to P5 at the expense of Sergio Perez.
Alonso’s strong start was immediately challenged. On Lap 2, Kruimel attempted an overtake in Turn 1, momentarily edging ahead through the Variante del Rettifilo. However, Alonso’s better exit from Turn 2 allowed him to reclaim the position. The fight brought The Captain within half a second of the leading pair.
Kruimel Retakes the Lead
With DRS activated on Lap 3, Kruimel launched another attack. This time, the move was decisive, allowing him to breeze past Alonso before Turn 1. Free from the turbulence of his teammate, Kruimel quickly built a gap, leaving Alonso to fend off The Captain.
The Pit Stop Chaos
The leaders stayed out as the first wave of pit stops began on Lap 9. Kruimel held a 2.5-second advantage over Alonso, with The Captain just four-tenths further back. The gap to Verstappen, now in P4, was a sizable 6.5 seconds.
On Lap 10, Kruimel, The Captain, and Alonso all pitted. However, Alonso’s stop turned disastrous. Misjudging the timing, Alonso entered the pits just seconds after Kruimel, forcing the team to hold him until Kruimel’s service was complete. The delay cost Alonso several seconds, dropping him 5 seconds behind The Captain as they rejoined the track.
Cruise Control to the Finish
The pit stop blunder effectively sealed the race’s top three positions. Kruimel extended his lead over The Captain to nine seconds, while The Captain comfortably held P2, finishing 4.8 seconds ahead of a frustrated Alonso.
Behind them, Verstappen took P4, Keeping the McLaren of Sergio Perez behind him. Hamilton secured P6, showing flashes of the race pace Mercedes is steadily developing.
Championship Outlook: The Captain Inches Closer
With Alonso’s misfortune and The Captain’s runner-up finish, the gap between the two in the standings has narrowed to just four points. This sets the stage for a thrilling duel for second place as the season enters its final five races.
Meanwhile, Kruimel’s latest victory extends his championship lead even further. With a 79-point advantage over Alonso, the discussion has shifted from if Kruimel will secure the title to when.
Looking Ahead: Singapore and Beyond
The next stop on the calendar is Singapore, a circuit that could favor the high-downforce setups of the Aston Martin. Kruimel cannot clinch the title in Singapore, even with a win and misfortunes for his rivals, but Aston Martin is poised to secure the Constructors’ Championship with another strong showing.
Adding intrigue, Aston Martin has announced a final set of upgrades, set to debut in Singapore. While these updates promise to solidify their dominance this season, they may also widen the performance gap to rivals, potentially impacting the Alonso-Captain battle for P2.
With just five races to go, the stakes are higher than ever. Will The Captain finally leapfrog Alonso? And how long will it take for Kruimel to officially claim his crown? All eyes now turn to the night lights of Singapore.
