Perez’s Monza performance sets rumour mill abuzz

It’s musical chairs time as F1 season heads towards its climax

HE STAR of Sunday’s F1 race, which took place in Italy at Monza, was undoubtedly Sauber driver Sergio Perez.

The Mexican finished second, behind McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and in front of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, in the process securing his third podium of the season.

His Ferrari-powered Sauber stopped once for fresh rubber well into the race then took advantage of better grip and carved through any threats from fellow drivers – including the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and finally Fernando Alonso.

TMcLaren boss says there’s no Plan B if Hamilton doesn’t renew his contract

This has naturally fed the rumour mill around driver seats for the next season, with Perez being asked if the win, on Ferrari’s home turf, would contribute to a seat with the Italian team.

“I am sure not at all. I am fighting for my team and I will always fight for the team I am in, I will always give my maximum,” is all the Mexican would reveal.

The bigger question mark still hangs above Hamilton’s head with McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh admitting earlier this week that he has no back-up plan should the British driver decide to not renew his contract. The 27-year-old’s current deal with the team runs out at the end of the season. The build-up to Monza saw rumours pointing at Mercedes as a possible move (should Michael Schumacher leave) but both the driver’s management company and McLaren have denied this.

It is rumoured that McLaren has offered the Brit a $100-million (R800-million) contract to race in its team for the next five seasons. Hamilton is also mum on the subject, saying that he’s taking it one race at a time as he hunts down the world title rather than focus on his future.

Meanwhile, Ferrari driver Alonso believes Sunday’s third place finish was “perfect”, extending his lead in the championship with three rivals failing to score.

Neither of the Red Bulls finishing means Alonso now has a a 37-point lead over Hamilton, the only one of his main rivals to make up any ground on him on Sunday.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is worried after neither of his drivers finished on Sunday due to technical difficulties, and has called on the entire team to rectify the issues.

It’s the first time since 2010 that Red Bull has walked away from a Grand Prix weekend without a single point – Sebastien Vettel suffered an alternator failure while Mark Webber was forced to retire due to worn tyres.

Vettel and Webber are now fourth and fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, 39 and 47 points off Alonso.

“Both the drivers are still in the championship race, and we still lead the constructors’ by 19 points,” said Horner.

“With seven races to go we have to make sure we throw everything at it”.

Horner said that the highspeed nature of the last two tracks (Spa and Monza), exposed his team’s weak points and is hoping that Singapore, a tight, twisty track, will put them back at the front.

“The Ferrraris were just too quick on the straights for us,” concluded Horner.

Lotus driver Raikkonen, who finished fifth on Sunday, said that was the best result possible after lacking straight-line speed.

“It’s good to go into third position in the drivers’ championship

It’s the first time since 2010 that Red Bull has scored no points

at a Grand Prix

but we lost some points to Fernando which is not ideal,” said Raikkonen.

“We were too slow in a straight line, making it very difficult to hold off anyone and even with the DRS it was difficult to overtake”.

And there seems to be a glimmer of hope for Robert Kubica’s return to F1, following a winning return to competitive motorsport at the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana in Italy on Sunday. Despite being out of action since his horrific rally accident in February last season, Poland’s Kubica won the event in his Subaru Impreza rally car.