Sport

Hamilton wins Italian Grand Prix after tyre investigation

World champion finishes 25 seconds clear of Vettel at Monza and survives stewards verdict

Lewis Hamilton finished 25 seconds clear of Sebastian Vettel at Monza but must wait for the verdict of the race stewards before victory is confirmed. Photograph: Getty
Lewis Hamilton finished 25 seconds clear of Sebastian Vettel at Monza but must wait for the verdict of the race stewards before victory is confirmed. Photograph: Getty
Paul Weaver at Monza
Sun Sept 06 2015 - 16:19

It was a stroll in the royal park for Lewis Hamilton on Sunday, as he won the Italian Grand Prix by 25 seconds. But then he was told that Mercedes would have to meet race stewards to consider a tyre pressure problem before his victory was confirmed.

Joe Bauer, the FIA's technical delegate, said: "The measured minimum tyre starting pressure of the left-hand rear tyre of car 44 [HAMILTON'S]was 0.3 PSI below the specified minimum tyre starting pressure and the measured minimum tyre starting pressure of car number 06 [ROSBERG'S]was 1.1 PSI below the specified minimum tyre starting pressure. I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration."

Immediately after the race Hamilton said: “I am not aware of it. I have no comment to make.”

It is, for the moment at least, his seventh win of the season, and as an extra bonus Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate and only world championship rival, Nico Rosberg, retired three laps from the end with his engine in flames.

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That means that Hamilton’s lead in the table has jumped from 28 points to 53, which looks like a mountain to climb for the German. The British driver’s previous two titles were not decided until the end of the season but this one could be wrapped up much earlier than that.

But before Hamilton can properly celebrate he was told that he would have to face the stewards. Tyres were the topic at the start of the week and it was so again at the end

If victory is confirmed, it will be Hamilton's 40th of his career, leaving him just one chequered flag behind his idol, Ayrton Senna, in the all-time list. Even Hamilton has rarely won as easily as this. Behind him were Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen.

Ferrari fans had been encouraged by seeing their drivers qualify second and third on the grid the previous day. But, for the tifosi, that’s as good as it got.

Raikkonen, who started alongside Hamilton in the front row of the grid, was left motionless when the lights went out, and watched in horror as the other cars streaked past, leaving him at the back of the field. But he recovered well for solid points.

Jenson Button started in 15th place but made a strong start and got up to 10th. But then his McLaren’s lack of straight-line speed began to tell and he slipped back to 16th at the end.

(Guardian service)