2017 F1 Round 13, Italian Grand Prix Race: Hamilton wins as Mercedes takes a one-two

The 2017 Italian Grand Prix ran for 53 laps at Monza. Hamilton won in 1 hour 15 minutes 32.312 seconds, with Bottas second, 4.471 seconds behind, as Mercedes secured its third one-two finish of the season. Vettel took third at Ferrari’s home race, but surrendered the lead of the drivers’ championship to Hamilton.

Sunday brought clear weather. Hamilton retained the lead from pole and gradually pulled away. Bottas started fourth, briefly lost ground at the start, then passed Räikkönen, Stroll and Ocon to move into second. Mercedes’ race pace allowed both cars to break clear of the battles behind.

Vettel initially ran behind team-mate Räikkönen. After passing him, he chased the two Mercedes, but could not get close enough to challenge for the win. Ricciardo closed on him late in the race, although Vettel held on to third. Räikkönen struggled with car balance and grip and finished fifth.

Ricciardo fought his way forward from the back of the grid after a starting-position penalty. He chose harder tyres to extend his opening stint, then gained positions through the pit-stop window. He passed Räikkönen on track for fourth and set the fastest lap. Red Bull’s race brought no podium, but Ricciardo’s recovery from a low starting position yielded a valuable points haul.

Verstappen suffered a puncture after contact with Massa on lap 3 and had to pit for new tyres and a front wing, dropping to the back. He then worked his way forward, passed Magnussen late on and took tenth for one point. Magnussen tried to fight back without success and finished 11th.

Ocon held sixth, followed by Stroll in seventh, Massa eighth and Pérez ninth. The two Williams ran close together in the closing stages, with Stroll successfully holding off his team-mate. Pérez closed on them from behind, but ran out of laps to gain another position. Both Williams scored points, bringing the team a total of 10.

Both McLarens retired. Vandoorne lost power, while Alonso stopped because of gearbox monitoring and shifting problems. Palmer retired with a drivetrain failure, and Ericsson was also called into the pits late in the race. Alonso and Ericsson remained classified 17th and 18th on the basis of the laps completed, with both recorded as retirements.

Hamilton’s consecutive wins at Spa and Monza, and the 25 points earned in Italy, put him at the top of the 2017 championship for the first time, 3 points ahead of Vettel. Mercedes scored 43 points, the maximum available to its two cars, and carried the initiative in the title fight to the next round in Singapore.