Sunday: Victory for Vettel, retirement for Webber

Sebastian Vettel – 1st:

Today’s victory touches me particularly. This circuit means a lot to me and is very special. It’s the place of my first victory and when I crossed the finish line, every detail resurfaced. The podium here was unexpected, and when you win here you feel blessed by the gods. This kind of thing doesn’t happen to everyone. There are so many people here, and you feel it, even at the Grand curve, it’s incredible. We haven’t had much luck here in recent years, so coming back and winning! The car was perfect yesterday in qualifying and I found it even better today. The start wasn’t good, Fernando came out of nowhere and it took me a while to realize that we were arriving three at the first corner. I was then second but afterwards I was able to overtake Alonso. He didn’t leave me much space but enough nonetheless, and it was great. It was a very good race. For the 150th anniversary of Italian unity, everything was special for everyone here, thank you to all the fans.

Mark Webber – Retirement:

« I didn’t get off to a good start. Jenson and I were close, which made me lose a bit of time. Sebastian didn’t have a very good start either, unlike Alonso, who had a phenomenal one. Later, when the race resumed after the safety car, I got off well and was able to pass Jenson on the straight. On the next lap, I was battling with Felipe Massa, I braked on the outside of turn 1 approaching turn 2. I must not have been on the right path, but when I tried to get back on the right path, unfortunately there was contact with Massa. I then tried to reach the pits, trying to lose as little time as possible. The car behaved well at first, but my front wing went under the car, and I could no longer brake or steer. I then went straight into the parabolica and that was the end of my race. »

Christian Horner – Team Principal:

« A phenomenal race today. Winning at Monza is a dream come true, and Sebastian’s performance is indisputable. We did a good job at the pit, our strategy was good, and Seb magnificently overtook Alonso after the safety car. Afterwards, everything was under control. Unfortunately, Mark retired prematurely after contact with Massa, costing him the podium. However, I know he will come back strong in Singapore. Nevertheless, today’s race was one of our finest victories. We dedicate it to a team member who recently left us, Erin Pazella, a young woman who passed away after a fierce battle with cancer. She worked with us for four years, and this victory is for her.