| 13.30 | Welcome to F1-Live.com and live coverage of the 53-lap Italian Grand Prix. After a wet qualifying session yesterday we have a very different look to the grid and the promise of a thrilling race ahead – once again in wet conditions. |
| 13.32 | Sebastian Vettel claimed the pole position yesterday, the first of his career and the first for the Toro Rosso Ferrari team. Vettel, now the youngest pole-sitter in history, has shown well all weekend and while the team admits he doesn’t have a great deal of fuel on board, it was an impressive performance none-the-less. |
| 13.34 | Heikki Kovalainen lines up in second position on the grid and has the chance to take his second Grand Prix win as his major rivals start further back than normal. Kovalainen missed out on the pole by just 0.076s. |
| 13.36 | A great last lap in qualifying saw Mark Webber vault third fastest in his Red Bull Renault while Sebastien Bourdais was on good form in the second Toro Rosso and lines up alongside Webber on the second row of the grid. |
| 13.38 | Nico Rosberg starts fifth in the leading Williams Toyota and will be looking to continue his good form into the race itself. In contrast team-mate Kazuki Nakajima has looked lost all weekend and starts back in 18th position. |
| 13.40 | Felipe Massa leads the Ferrari challenge from sixth on the grid. He starts the race – appeals aside – just two points behind Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen starts 14th in the second Ferrari after a troubled run in wet conditions yesterday. |
| 13.42 | Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock line-up seventh and ninth for Toyota as the team look to defend its fourth position in the constructors’ championship ahead of Renault. Fittingly Fernando Alonso slots in between the duo in between but Nelson Piquet disappointed again and starts 17th. |
| 13.44 | BMW Sauber have been very quick in dry conditions but not so in the wet. Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica starts tenth and 11th. Giancarlo Fisichella did a great job to qualify his Force India Ferrari 12th ahead of David Coulthard in the second Red Bull. |
| 13.46 | Qualifying was a disaster for Lewis Hamilton as he starts 15th behind Kimi Raikkonen. He ran the intermediate tyres at the start o Q2 and they were not suitable but even after switching back to the full wets, Hamilton could not lap even close to the pace indicating either something wrong with the car, or dry setting in place. |
| 13.48 | Rubens Barrichello starts 16th in the leading Honda while Jenson Button was a very poor 19th behind the under-performing Piquet and Nakajima. Adrian Sutil brings up the rear in the second Force India Ferrari. |
| 13.50 | Looking at the GP2 race earlier today, the cutting of the chicanes may be an issue in this race. The rules now seem to state that when rejoining the circuit, the driver cannot now attempt a pass until after the following corner. Jenson Button is starting the race from the pit lane instead of 19th on the grid. |
| 13.52 | With qualifying taking place in the wet, it is not clear what strategies the front-runners are running. Some may well aim to make this a one stop race, but they are likely to be those towards the tail of the field. |
| 13.54 | The circuit is wet and the rains continue to fall. There is no chance of anyone starting the race on dry weather tyres. The question now is if the start will be the normal standing start, or behind the safety car. Should it be a safety car start, they all have to start on the full wets. |
| 13.55 | It seems the race is going to start behind the safety car, as was the case yesterday for the GP2 race. |
| 13.56 | Nakajima as well as Button is starting from the pit lane. |
| 13.56 | With just four sets of intermediate and three sets of full wet tyres permitted per car each race weekend, tyre management may well be a key factor of this race as some may have some fresh tyres and some just some worn rubber. |
| 13.58 | The drivers are in the cars as they await the commend for the engines to fire and the grid to be cleared. |
| 14.00 | The parade lap is underway behind the silver Mercedes safety car. |
| 14.00 | Bourdais has stalled on the dummy grid. What a shame as he was fourth on the grid. |
| 14.00 | Bourdais is being wheeled off the grid. |
| Lap 1 | The race is technically underway behind the safety car. |
| Lap 1 | Bourdais is in the pits as the team work to get the car started and out of gear. |
| Lap 2 | The safety car stays out for a second lap with Vettel and the rest behind in the spray. |
| Lap 2 | Bourdais is now a lap down and that is his race ruined. It must be a car problem, not a Bourdais problem. |
| Lap 2 | Bourdais is now underway and closing up to the back of the pack. |
| Lap 3 | It is rolling start and the Italian Grand Prix is now underway! |
| Lap 3 | Vettel leads Kovalainen. |
| Lap 3 | They have all made it through turn one. |
| Lap 3 | There is a lot of spray as they continue around the lap. Glock has moved ahead of Alonso. |
| Lap 3 | A two second lead for Vettel after one racing lap. |
| Lap 4 | Alonso is back ahead of Glock into turn one. |
| Lap 4 | No major changes so far. There is so much spray. |
| Lap 5 | Hamilton cust the second chicane and slots in behind Raikkonen again as Vettel extends his lead. |
| Lap 5 | Fisichella is holding off Raikkonen for 11th position. |
| Lap 6 | Vettel is flying as he now has a five second lead over Kovalainen. How much fuel he has is another question. |
| Lap 6 | The field is quite spread out dur to the spray. 20 seconds already between first and tenth. Kubica is ahead of team-mate Heidfeld in ninth position. |
| Lap 7 | Glock has spun his Toyota from P8 under braking for turn one while trying to pass Alonso. |
| Lap 8 | The spin cost Glock one position to Kubica. |
| Lap 8 | A great fight between Fisichella, Raikkonen and Hamilton. |
| Lap 9 | Raikkonen passes Fisichella into trun one. |
| Lap 9 | Hamilton is now all over the back of Fisichella as Massa is now right with fourth placed Rosberg. |
| Lap 10 | Hamilton passes Fisichella into turn one. |
| Lap 10 | So Raikkonen and Hamilton are now up to 11th and 12th, Fisichella back to 13th. |
| Lap 11 | The gap at the front is now stable at just over six seconds. |
| Lap 11 | Hamilton passes Raikkonen into Lesmo. Raikkonen must have made an error. |
| Lap 12 | Raikkonen seems to have less traction and that is how Hamilton made the pass. |
| Lap 12 | The full wet tyres have not cleared the surface water and will now start to wear. |
| Lap 13 | Massa passes Rosberg for fourth position. |
| Lap 13 | Fisichella is in trouble. He was 12th. |
| Lap 14 | Coulthard passed Fisichella and the Italian clipped the Red Bull. The wing then failed at the Parabolica. |
| Lap 15 | Hamilton passes Heidfeld. |
| Lap 15 | Massa let Rosberg back ahead and then retook him. It must have been a chicane cut issue to avoid a penalty. |
| Lap 16 | Glock is right with Kubica and looking to regain the position. |
| Lap 16 | Hamilton passes Glock and Glock comes back at him only to push Glock on to the grass. |
| Lap 16 | So a drive through for Hamilton? Glock was certainly pushed onto the grass but was it just a racing incident? |
| Lap 16 | Massa is now pushing hard to close the ten second gap to Webber. |
| Lap 17 | Barrichello pits the Honda. |
| Lap 18 | Hamilton passes Kubica with a clean move into the second chicane. |
| Lap 18 | Vettel has really dropped Kovalainen now as the gap is 11 seconds. |
| Lap 19 | Vettel pits from the lead. |
| Lap 19 | Vettel is back out on the full wets tyres again. |
| Lap 19 | Hamilton passes Alonso for seventh position. |
| Lap 19 | Glock passes Kubica as the latter runs off track at the second chicane. |
| Lap 20 | Raikkonen is now close to Heidfeld in the battle for 11th position. |
| Lap 20 | After his first stop Vettel runs in fourth behind Massa. |
| Lap 21 | Raikkonen almost loses the Ferrari exiting Ascari. |
| Lap 21 | Hamilton is closing fast on Trulli. |
| Lap 21 | Glock passes Alonso for P8 into thye second chicane. |
| Lap 22 | Hamilton passes Trulli into turn one and then runs wide and has to let him back ahead. |
| Lap 23 | Kovalainen, Massa and Webber all pit. |
| Lap 23 | Hamilton now passes Trulli and stays ahead. |
| Lap 23 | Button and Barrichello also pits from the back of the field. |
| Lap 24 | Hamilton passes Rosberg. |
| Lap 24 | I'm not sure how Hamilton got ahead of Trulli though. Hamilton now runs second. |
| Lap 24 | Vettel leads the race again but Hamilton is closing in fast. |
| Lap 25 | Raikkonen is now ahead of Heidfeld and running tenth in the second Ferrari. |
| Lap 26 | Glock pits his Toyota as Hamilton is zooming up on Vettel but has yet to pit. |
| Lap 26 | Massa is now stuck behind Heidfeld and losing a lot of time. |
| Lap 27 | Trulli and Raikkonen both pit. |
| Lap 27 | Sutil also pits from towards the back of the field. |
| Lap 28 | Hamilton pits from second position. |
| Lap 28 | Hamilton exits in clear air ahead of one of the Renaults, probably Piquet. |
| Lap 29 | Rosberg pits from third position. |
| Lap 29 | A slow stop as they had a problem getting the fuel hose removed. |
| Lap 29 | Coulthard pits the second Red Bull. |
| Lap 29 | Hamilton now run P10 but does not need to stop again. |
| Lap 30 | Coulthard has taken the intermediate tyre and cuts straight through the first chicane. |
| Lap 30 | Heidfeld pits his BMW Sauber. Bourdais pits from the back. |
| Lap 30 | Alonso pits his Renault. |
| Lap 31 | Alonso has taken the intermediate tyre. Big gamble as it is still very wet. |
| Lap 31 | Raikkonen passes Glock for position into turn one. Vettel leads the race and is 32 seconds ahead of Hamilton who does not have to pit again. That is the gap to keep an eye on. |
| Lap 33 | Kubica runs third but has notted pitted. |
| Lap 33 | Massa pits for the second time. He takes intermediate tyres. |
| Lap 34 | Glock and Rosberg also pit. |
| Lap 35 | So the intermediate tyre is the tyre of choice and that is a problem for Hamilton who is not scheduled to stop again. Kovalainen pits. |
| Lap 35 | Kubica and Webber pits as well. They are all going for the intermediate tyre now. |
| Lap 35 | Alonso is now lapping faster than the leaders. He was the second driver to stop and take the intermediate rain tyre. |
| Lap 36 | Trulli passes Kubica. |
| Lap 36 | Webber spins at Ascari and continues. Massa picks up the position. Raikkonen pits. |
| Lap 36 | Trulli pits again. |
| Lap 37 | Vettel pits from the lead and will be taking the intermediate tyre. |
| Lap 37 | Hamilton pits for a second time. He is pitting to get the intermediate tyre. Piquet pits for the first time showing the Renault has a huge fuel tank. |
| Lap 37 | Hamilton passes Webber for position into the second chicane with a nice pass. |
| Lap 38 | Button and Piquet bump together at the first turn. |
| Lap 38 | Kubica runs in third position and has so far made the one stop work very well. If he is on full wets though he may have to pit again for intermediates. |
| Lap 39 | Hamilton, seventh, is catching Massa by over two seconds a lap. |
| Lap 40 | Massa passes Heidfeld into turn one but has to let him back ahead as he ran off track. |
| Lap 41 | Hamilton is closing in on Massa in the battle for sixth position. |
| Lap 41 | Heidfeld, Massa and Hamiton run together. |
| Lap 42 | Vettel looks in command at the front as Kovalainen is not making any progress. |
| Lap 42 | Raikkonen runs 14th and has made no impression on this race at all. |
| Lap 43 | Raikkonen passes Nakajima for position and I never thought I would type that! |
| Lap 44 | Now Glock passes Nakajima. |
| Lap 44 | Barrichello pits the Honda for a second time as Coulthard runs off track. |
| Lap 44 | Coulthard lost position to Piquet with that off track moment. |
| Lap 45 | Sutil pits for the third time. |
| Lap 45 | Piquet cuts the first chicane and continues. |
| Lap 46 | Heidfeld, Massa and Hamilton continue to run together but no passing at the moment. |
| Lap 47 | The top three seem set. Alonso is comfortable in fourth agead of the battling Heidfeld and Massa. Hamilton has dropped back from Massa and now has Webber closing in on him. |
| Lap 47 | Raikkonen is lining up to pass Piquet having made short work of Coulthard. |
| Lap 48 | Raikkonen passes Piquet into turn one. |
| Lap 48 | Webber has now caught Hamilton who is struggling. |
| Lap 49 | Hamilton moves across into Webber as the Red Bull tries a pass. Poor driving for the second time today from the McLaren driver. |
| Lap 50 | Raikkonen is flying but it is too late as he is a long way behind Webber. |
| Lap 50 | Glock passes Coulthard into the Parabolica. |
| Lap 51 | Vettel is on his way to a historic win, the youngest in the history of the sport. |
| Lap 51 | Coulthard and Nakajima set together into the Parabolica. Coulthard pits after clipping the Williams driver. |
| Lap 52 | Massa runs over debris from the Nakajima Coulthard incident. |
| Lap 52 | Hamilton has shaken off Webber and is now back behind Massa. |
| Lap 53 | Vettel is on his final lap and about to win. |
| Lap 53 | Vettel wins the Italian Grand Prix, a stunning win! |
| Lap 53 | Kovalainen is second 12s behind. |
| Lap 53 | Kubica is third after a smart drive on a one stop strategy. Alonso is fourth on a similar strategy from Heidfeld, Massa, Hamilton and Webber. |
| Lap 53 | Raikkonen is ninth and out of the points. |
| Lap 53 | Massa is now just one point behind Hamilton. |
