|
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 fight back, 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 textbook 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. |
