The Italian Grand Prix is never the most interesting race of the season from a strategy point of view, being a certain one stop race. But in terms of strategic gamesmanship between Mercedes and Ferrari it was utterly fascinating.
Formula 1 drivers’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas will test Pirelli’s tyres at Circuit Paul Ricard in France on Thursday.
Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne has described his team’s performance in the Italian Grand Prix as “embarrassing”, however lead driver Sebastian Vettel who finished over 30 seconds behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, called it an “optimum result” considering where they started on the grid.
Mercedes won this race by a good margin on a weekend when Ferrari strangely did not have the pace, having run them close at Spa last weekend. I’m shocked in many ways that this was the first time this season that a driver has won back-to-back Grands Prix.
Lewis Hamilton became the first repeat winner of the 2017 Formula 1 season as he led the Italian Grand Prix from start-to-finish in Mercedes’ second one-two of the season. The poleman was unchallenged and pitted on lap 33 for a set of softs as he cruised to victory.
Lewis Hamilton took a record 69th career pole position for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix after a long delay due to torrential rain on a thoroughly drenched Monza surface. Hamilton also broke the record for most poles at Monza with his fifth at the historic circuit and a Mercedes will start on the front ...
Monza is a busy paddock every year and this year is no exception, especially with the fresh energy that the new owners Liberty Media have injected into the system. In recent years the event outside the F1 paddock had developed a slightly stagnant feel, not helped by constant threats to the future of the event
Sergio Perez has called an end to the conflict between him and Esteban Ocon as he claimed that the Formula 1 team cannot ‘afford’ any more collisions for the rest of the season.
Fernando Alonso didn’t mask his true feelings during qualifying and the race in Belgium. And amid suggestions that he retired the car from the race, he approaches a crossroads as his self imposed deadline of September to review his participation in F1 approaches.
Highlights were Fernando Alonso’s opening lap, the pass by Daniel Ricciardo on Valtteri Bottas at the restart after the late Safety Car, Vettel’s attempt to do the same with Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes and the two collisions between the Force India drivers.
Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix in his 200th start with a start-to-finish lead over runner-up Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton held off his title rival on soft tyres as Vettel gave chase on ultra-softs after a Safety Car period on lap 30, to take victory and reduce the gap in the drivers standings