Sebastian Vettel won at Monza aged 21, becoming the youngest Formula One race winner at the time and giving Toro Rosso its first-ever victory.
Key Facts
- Race laps
- 53
- Vettel's age at victory
- 21 years 73 days
- Championship round
- 14th of 2008 season
- Pole position
- Vettel – maiden pole
- 2nd place
- Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren)
- 3rd place
- Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Early race rainfall gave Sebastian Vettel, starting from his maiden pole position under a safety car, the opportunity to build a commanding lead over Heikki Kovalainen. As the track dried, Vettel was able to extend that advantage, aided by Toro Rosso's strategic decisions despite running a 2007-specification Ferrari engine.
The 2008 Italian Grand Prix was held on 14 September at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Vettel led throughout to win ahead of Kovalainen and Kubica, delivering Toro Rosso its maiden Formula One victory. Lewis Hamilton, the Drivers' Championship leader, qualified 15th and finished seventh, one place behind Felipe Massa.
Vettel became the youngest driver to win a Formula One race, a record later broken by Max Verstappen in 2016. Massa's sixth place narrowed Hamilton's Drivers' Championship lead with four races remaining, while Kovalainen's second place closed the gap between McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors' standings.