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2016 Italian Grand Prix race recap

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is called the Temple of Power. Furthermore, the winning driver in Italy started on pole in 13 of the last 16 years, and only one driver in that time has won the Italian GP from behind the front row of the grid: Rubens Barrichello in 2002 and 2009. By this point in the current Formula 1 season (era?) we know what it means when a track emphasizes both power and pole position: Mercedes-AMG Petronas. The Silver Arrows locked out the front row with Lewis Hamilton on pole. A poor start prevented the Briton from capitalizing on the advantage, so teammate Nico Rosberg and four other drivers swept by him before the end of the second turn. Mercedes would later say a clutch issue caused Hamilton's botched start, but that didn't help the man who'd just fallen to sixth place. Rosberg got about two laps of television coverage on his way to an unbothered victory ahead of Hamilton. Ferrari made Hamilton's second-place finish easier by sticking to a two-stop strategy; both Mercedes drivers pitted once. We aren't sure why Ferrari didn't at least attempt a one-stopper once Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen had been gifted second and third on track. A pit stop took about 23 seconds from entry to exit and Vettel finished third, six seconds behind Hamilton. Raikkonen finished fourth, another seven seconds behind Vettel. Perhaps the Scuderia's tire usage wouldn't allow longer stints, but we'll never know. Daniel Ricciardo wielded his Red Bull like a scalpel to make an impeccable pass on Valtteri Bottas in the Williams and take fifth place. Ricciardo, trailing another Italian province behind, somehow closed the gap on Bottas in just the braking zone of Turn 1, pulling alongside near the apex without locking a wheel on entry nor running wide on exit. Bottas claimed sixth ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez in the Force India, Felipe Massa in the second Williams, and Nico Hulkenberg in the second Force India sealing the top ten. Monza did spring a few on-track surprises. Esteban Gutierrez drove Haas F1 into Q3 for the first time this season, the Mexican setting the sixth-best time in Q2. Manor Racing planned for Monza all season, Pascal Wehrlein repaying the effort by qualifying 13th. Fernando Alonso pitted his McLaren on Lap 50 of the 53-lap race for a set of super soft Pirellis, then set the fastest lap. It's Honda's first fastest lap since 1992. The biggest moments happened off the track.

Manor GP exits bankruptcy, secures Ferrari engine deal

Those who considered Manor Grand Prix down for the count may be in for a surprise as the struggling Formula One team is clawing its way back onto the grid. According to the latest intel, the outfit has not only re-emerged from bankruptcy proceedings, but it's also secured an engine deal for this season. Now if the name Manor doesn't ring any bells for you, it's probably because it never raced under that name. At least not in F1. Manor Motorsport has been competing in lower-level formulae since 1990, and secured an expansion slot in the big leagues in 2009. By the time it actually reached the grid, it had secured title sponsorship from Virgin, and was subsequently taken over by Marussia, under whose banner it competed for several season until things started to unravel late last season. After Jules Bianchi crashed at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, it fielded only one car (that failed to finish) at the subsequent Russian Grand Prix and then dropped off the grid altogether. After failing to make it to the season closer in Abu Dhabi, the team was declared bankrupt. In an effort to regroup and make it back on the grid for the 2015 championship, it appealed to its rivals for special dispensation to run last year's car this season. Unfortunately, some of the other teams rejected the proposal, and it looked like it was all over for the struggling backmarker. But it retained its slot on the entry list and paid its fees, and has now emerged from bankruptcy proceedings, eager to get back into the action – even if it misses the season opener in a couple of weeks in Australia. The team is now focusing on completing its original design for the 2015 MR04 chassis. And it appears to have cleared a major hurdle as Ferrari has reportedly agreed to supply the team with last year's engine. We'll just have to wait and see whether that will prove enough to get the team back up and running – especially since it already sold off many of its assets. News Source: ESPN F1 (1), (2)Image Credit: Paul Gilham/Getty Earnings/Financials Motorsports Ferrari F1 manor

Weekly Recap For 4.22.16 | Autoblog Minute

Senior Editor Greg Migliore recaps the week in automotive news, including a look at the latest from the VW diesel emissions scandal, spy shots of the latest Honda CR-V, and more. Ferrari Honda Volkswagen Crossover Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video emissions scandal diesel emissions scandal