Alonso scores first Monza victory as Hamilton finishes second
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton finished first and second in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza; the fourth 1-2 victory for the team this year. After 53 laps, 306.720 km and a total race time of 1:18:37.806 hrs, Fernando came home six seconds ahead of Lewis; Kimi Raikkonen ended up third 27.3 seconds behind the winner.
Fernando, who also set the fastest lap of the race with 1m22.871 on lap 15, and Lewis were both on two-stop strategies. Fernando came in on laps 20 (9.1 seconds) and 43 (5.8 seconds) whilst Lewis pitted on laps 18 (8.3 seconds) and 40 (6.0 seconds). Fernando achieved his 19th win and his first at Monza. Lewis maintained his lead in the Drivers’ Championship with 92 points followed by Fernando in second position with 89 points. After 13 out of 17 races, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes extended the lead in the Constructors' table to 166 points ahead of Ferrari on 143.
Fernando Alonso "To win at Monza for the first time is very special. Sometimes everything goes in the right direction; this weekend was one of those times and we were able to keep up the momentum. My start wasn’t perfect, and I had to defend my lead coming in to the first corner. In the second corner I was a bit worried as I thought Lewis and I would touch but fortunately this did not happen. The safety car could have caused us a few problems as it was important for our strategy to open up a gap as soon as possible. However it was a perfect afternoon today with the car and the team working really well, and to win in front of the enthusiastic Italian Formula 1 fans is very emotional."
Lewis Hamilton "Obviously I didn’t get the best getaway and Felipe managed to shoot past me. I outbraked both him and Fernando into Turn One, and I almost thought I was going to get past, but then Felipe clipped me and sent me over the second chicane. I was suffering vibrations on my tyres in the first stint, so I opted to pit earlier to play it safe. Once we knew that Kimi was on a one-stop strategy it was key to really optimise my second stop. Unfortunately I came out behind him, but I knew I was faster on the new tyres, if only for a couple of laps, and so I just took the opportunity when I caught him up. It was really important for me to get that place back, not only for my position in the Championship, but also for all the team. We had the 1-2 in qualifying yesterday, and to maintain this in the race was the icing on the cake. They have all done a fantastic job."
Ron Dennis "We always want to win and to have McLaren’s first one-two at Monza today is really special. The entire team has done a fantastic job both on and off track in difficult circumstances, and our dominance this weekend is a just reward for all their efforts. Fernando and Lewis put in excellent performances and controlled the race from the front. Lewis, overtaking manoeuvre to reclaim second place showed his determination. We now focus on the week ahead and the race at Spa next weekend."
Norbert Haug "This race was a classic and the right answer on the race track. Congratulations to Fernando on his great victory. Apart from Friday’s first session, he has been fastest throughout the weekend and really deserved this win. Lewis did a great job, and it was excellent how he first passed Felipe into the first corner and towards the end Kimi after his second pit stop to secure the fourth 1-2 win for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes since the team’s first one this year in Malaysia. The team worked really hard to make this possible, and today’s result is the best reward for everybody’s efforts during the last months. Thank you all, together we will keep on pushing."
