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Hamilton beats Raikkonen to take victory at Monza

Published on 02 Sep 2018 16:30
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By: Fergal Walsh

Lewis Hamilton pulled off a late-race move on Kimi Raikkonen to take victory at the Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton took the chequered flag over 8 seconds ahead of Raikkonen, after being involved in an incident with title rival Sebastian Vettel on lap 1.

The two four-time world champions collided at Turn 4 as they went side by side into the corner. Vettel was spun around and demoted to the back of the pack, but the German picked his way back through the field and recovered to cross the line in fifth place. The Stewards investigated the incident but deemed it a racing incident.

Vettel pitted at the end of the first lap to change his front wing and fit a new set of tyres. Ferrari attached the yellow-walled soft compound to his car with the aim of going to the end of the race. However, Vettel pitted again on lap 30 for a fresh set of super softs.

Despite coming home in fifth place, Vettel was promoted to fourth after Max Verstappen was handed a five-second time penalty. The Dutchman was battling Valtteri Bottas for the final spot on the podium when the two made contact going into Turn 1.

Verstappen was judged to have defended his position unfairly and was punished by the stewards. The 20-year-old crossed the line in third place but conceded the podium position to Valtteri Bottas, while Vettel moved up one place.

Bottas was instrumental in obtaining the win for Mercedes, as he backed Raikkonen into Hamilton after the round of pit stops. Hamilton pitted eight laps after Raikkonen who found himself just behind Bottas who stayed out on his super soft tyres.

After Bottas made his stop, Hamilton chased Raikkonen before making his move on lap 45. Raikkonen was struggling with blisters and dropped back from the Briton, who extends his lead in the championship by 15 points.

Romain Grosjean kept up his strong form, crossing the line in sixth place for Haas. The Frenchman has scored points at five out of the last six races amid questions over his future in the sport.

Following its summer break takeover, it was a strong day for Force India who collected another 10 points. Esteban Ocon finished in seventh, ahead of Sergio Perez who recovered after a disappointing qualifying on Saturday. The team now sits above Sauber in the constructor's standings.

McLaren-bound Carlos Sainz had a steady race for Renault, crossing the line in ninth place. After putting in an impressive display during qualifying on Saturday, Lance Stroll bagged Williams' second point finish of the season, coming home in tenth.

Daniel Ricciardo suffered disappointment, suffering an engine issue during the race. The Australian was forced to retire which will worry Red Bull and Renault, as Ricciardo fitted Renault's new 'C Spec' engine for the Italian GP weekend.

Fernando Alonso also retired when his engine cut out, while Brendon Hartley didn't even make it to the first corner of the race before he was taken out, making contact with the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson.

Lewis Hamilton now holds a 30 point lead over Sebastian Vettel in the driver's championship as the focus now shifts to Singapore. Mercedes keeps its lead over Ferrari in the constructor's fight, extending its lead to 25 points.

Fergal Walsh