Hamilton dominates Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix is always one of those races on the calendar which comes with emotion, not only is a favourite for the drivers but the Tifosi create the atmosphere which is quite special when hosting a race in Italy.

Following the multitude of penalties after qualifying the Renault powered cars will be starting at the very back of the grid, only just behind McLaren who all decided to change their engines for this race, a race that both don’t believe would be their most competitive given the high speed nature.

It would also be a difficult start for championship challenger Nico Rosberg who had an engine problem on Saturday morning which has left him with an engine which has already raced in six grand prix, and ended qualifying a long way down on his team mean, allowing the Ferrari drivers ahead. They have a car on the front row at their home grand prix. Niki Lauda also confirmed that there was a hydraulic problem on Nico’s car on Sunday morning, which was resolved before the start of the race.

With a one stop likely for many of the runners, with Alonso, Sainz, Kvyat and Ricciardo taking the harder tyres for the first stint at the back of the grid. All pulled away from the grid fine on the formation lap, with Hamilton leading the field away.

Cars lined up on the grid for the start, with the lights going out. Raikkonen had a terrible start, but everyone missed him. Hamilton went into the lead into the first corner with Vettel second and Massa third. Maldonado went wide at the chicane and then fell back through the field. By the end of the first lap Raikkonen had regained places to get up to 14th. Rosberg also lost time at the start dropping to 6th.

It was a terrible start to the afternoon for Lotus with Grosjean pulling off on the second lap, and Maldonado retiring in the pits on the same lap. Raikkonen had quickly made up places to 12th and behind Ricciardo and Sainz for 10th. Button was in 9th ahead of this pack.

Hamilton was pulling away at the front of the field, with Vettel now outside of the DRS zone behind. Raikkonen was still making good progress to 10th, and then 9th quickly on Jenson Button into the Ascari chicane. Sainz and Button had a close battle into the second chicane, with the Brit going off the track, now off guard Ricciardo overtook him as well, with Kvyat also latching onto the back of the McLaren. Kvyat got past on the main straight.

Rosberg was told over the radio on lap 9 that his brakes were getting hot, he dropped back slightly on the Williams drivers in front.

The stewards advised that Sainz would get a five second penalty for gaining an advantage, with him coming into the pits for his first stop on lap 11 for the soft tyres. Button was still losing places, this time to Max Verstappen on the main straight.

Rosberg’s braking had improved enough for him to attack once again on lap 12, with the German looking to overtake at the first chicane. Hulenberg said over the radio that there was a strange noise from the car.

A lap later and Rosberg was even closer to the back of Bottas, made a move on the next lap, but couldn’t make it. He tried again into the second chicane, but the Williams blocked the Mercedes. The Mercedes dropped back once again, with him being warned that the brakes were very hot.

At the front of the field, Hamilton had increased the gap to 8 seconds from Vettel, and Massa another 8 back on the Ferrari. Raikkonen’s rate of progress had stopped in 9th. Max Verstappen overtook Button on the main straight, with the Honda powered car with DRS only just a match for the Renault in the Toro Rosso.

Rosberg pitted on lap 19, with Mercedes trying the undercut on Williams, taking the medium tyre and a 3.2 second pitstop. Hulkenberg also made an earlier stop in the Force India. Williams reacted a lap later to bring Felipe Massa into the pits, also taking the medium tyre, with a slightly slower 3.7 second stop. Raikkonen got ahead of Ericsson at the same time, but Rosberg jumped ahead of Massa with their earlier stop. Mercedes effectively jumping both Williams drivers.

Ericsson pitted a lap later in the Sauber, he also had the medium tyres for a 3.3 second stop.

Williams came out on lap 23 to service Valtteri Bottas, also taking the medium tyres with an even slower time of 4 seconds with him a long way behind his team mate and Rosberg.

Currently third, Perez pitted for the medium tyres, a quick 2.6 second pitstop for Force India and came out ahead of Dany Kvyat, the pair of them together with Perez in 8th and Kvyat in 9th.

Vettel was suffering with his tyres, but Hamilton was fine at the front. The German pitted on lap 26 for his medium tyres. He came out ahead of his team mate, and Rosberg who had just set the fastest lap of the race.

Hamilton pitted a lap later than Vettel. Jenson Button also stopped on the same lap as Hamilton, and the Sauber of Nasr went wide at the first corner to allow him to pass. Rosberg overtook Raikkonen for 3rd, and then just made it through the first corner. Ricciardo and Perez were battling hard as well, the Red Bull driver getting ahead of the Force India for 7th.

Raikkonen pitted on lap 29, with a Manor nearly hitting the back of the Ferrari coming into the pitlane. It was a very quick stop by the Ferrari team, for Kimi to take the medium tyres on his one stop. It was a slow entry to the pitlane which saw him drop down the order to 10th place, and back behind the Sauber of Ericsson.

After starting at the back of the field, Ricciardo pitted on lap 31, taking the soft compound tyre after being one of the few drivers who had the mediums at the start of the race. Ricciardo exited in 10th, behind the Ericsson/Raikkonen fight. Raikkonen took Ericsson in a much quicker move than before, getting up to 8th, and closing on Hulkenberg in front.

The gap at the front of the field from Hamilton to Vettel had increased to nearly 20 seconds, from Rosberg then Massa.

Lap 33 and Kimi Raikkonen made his move on Nico Hulkenberg for 7th, a move using DRS on the main straight. Hulkenberg was reassured that everything was pointing to a one stop. Verstappen also pitted from 13th, he came out right in front of the McLaren.

Rosberg was told over the radio that Vettel’s tyres went off early than others on the first set, to give the German the hurry up despite the fact that his tyres were older. It didn’t help that Hamilton was setting fastest lap after fastest lap at the front of the field.

At the lower reaches of the top ten, Ericsson was closing on Hulkenberg for 8th, with the Force India considering to change to a two stop. The German was complaining of a lack of rear grip, comparing to what happened last year over the radio.

Rosberg started to close in slightly on the second placed Ferrari, but only by a few tenths per lap, reducing it to three seconds with 9 laps of the race remaining. Raikkonen was also closing in on Perez for 6th.

Further down the order and Fernando Alonso had caught Jenson Button who were on different strategies, but were down in 15th and 16th places.

There were concerns in the Mercedes pitbox, with Hamilton told to pull a gap using a higher engine mode. He was told to put in some hammer time laps, and only told to ask questions at the end of the race. The Brit being 22 seconds in the lead.

In the meantime after closing on Button, Alonso retired from the race on lap 50, with Raikkonen right on the back of Perez. The Ferrari went around the outside at the first corner. The Force India tried to get the place back, but couldn’t get alongside.

On lap 51 Nico Rosberg’s engine blew up at the second chicane, with the car on the outside of the corner with just two laps remaining. Smoke coming out the back of the Mercedes, giving the advantage to Hamilton in the championship. It also elevated Williams onto the podium with the pair of them together. Hamilton was told that he shouldn’t take any risks, but he felt like he wanted to go slower behind Hulkenberg to lap him.

Hamilton remained the leader though to win the Italian Grand Prix, with Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari settling for second and a third place for Felipe Massa.

The Brit wasn’t happy with his team though, with him being told that everything would be explained to him later.

It means though that he extends his championship lead to two whole wins from his team mate.

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