Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has extended his championship lead by winning the Italian Grand Prix from pole position, using a one-stop soft-medium strategy. Hamilton won his 50th grand prix with Mercedes, having gone quickest in every practice session, taken pole position and set fastest lap as well. In the end, his winning margin was 25 seconds.
The Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel was second on an identical strategy, with the top 10 all stopping just once. The majority of drivers started on the soft tyre and then moved onto the medium. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo was the highest-placed driver to start on the medium tyre and run the opposite strategy, ending up eighth after starting 19th as a result of grid penalties.
Another impressive fightback, using a one-stop soft-medium strategy came from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, fifth at the end after dropping to last following a slow start off the grid.
While Hamilton dominated the front of the field, there was close competition behind him, with many of the points-scoring places only settled on the final lap, as drivers battled for position.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “As ever, Monza proved to be an amazing experience, with an incredible atmosphere provided by some of the most enthusiastic fans we see all year. As a Formula One venue, it is simply emblematic. Lewis Hamilton drove a text-book race for Mercedes, ending up with a well-deserved victory thanks to a perfectly executed strategy. Behind him, there were also some great battles throughout the field, with a one-stop strategy becoming the default option for the field – despite the fact that Monza is known for its high wear and degradation.”
Truth-O-Meter
We predicted a one-stopper as the most likely winning scenario for the 53-lap race, and this is exactly what Hamilton chose, in line with our expectations. Our prediction said that after starting on soft, it would be quickest to stop for medium on lap 21. Hamilton actually stopped on lap 26.