F1 - Italy Monza Grandprix - 4 Sep 2016



Nico Rosberg took a comfortable Italian Grand Prix victory as Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton recovered from a bad start to finish second at Monza.
Rosberg took the lead when polesitter Hamilton bogged down at the start and remained unthreatened throughout the 53-lap race to cross the line 15 seconds ahead for Mercedes' fourth one-two of the season.
It means Rosberg, who secured his seventh win of the season and 21st of his career, now trails Hamilton by just two points in the drivers' championship with seven races remaining.
Sebastian Vettel gave the Tifosi something to cheer about by finishing third, 20.9s adrift, with Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen fourth.
While Hamilton was swallowed up by the pack and dropped to sixth at the start, Rosberg held off a challenge from Vettel to take the lead into Turn 1.
The Mercedes driver set a series of fastest laps to build a gap as Vettel and Raikkonen struggled to keep pace.
Hamilton, meanwhile, passed Daniel Ricciardo through Curve Grande to move into fifth and then got a good run out of Parabolica to slingshot past Valtteri Bottas for fourth.
The reigning world champion inherited second when the Ferraris pitted for fresh sets of super-soft tyres.
Hamilton began closing the gap to Rosberg before both Mercedes pitted for the first and only time, taking the mediums.
He dropped back to fourth but reclaimed second when the Ferraris pitted for the second time.
Though Hamilton pushed to catch his title rival, he locked up at the first chicane, bouncing across the speed bumps in the middle before rejoining.
He was then warned by his team to build a gap to the Ferraris behind and his challenge faded.
Ricciardo, on fresh super-soft tyres, launched an attack from a long way back to pass Bottas into the first chicane to take fifth.
Max Verstappen got a good run through Curva Grande and then passed Sergio Perez into the second chicane for seventh.
Felipe Massa and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.
The result means Williams moves back ahead of Force India into fourth place in the constructors' championship with a three-point lead.
In a race of little incident, Jolyon Palmer and Felipe Nasr collided on lap two with the Sauber driver being handed a 10s penalty by the stewards. Both retired with damage.
RESULTS - 53 LAPS:
POSDRIVERCARGAP
1Nico RosbergMercedes1h17m28.089s
2Lewis HamiltonMercedes15.070s
3Sebastian VettelFerrari20.990s
4Kimi RaikkonenFerrari27.561s
5Daniel RicciardoRed Bull/Renault45.295s
6Valtteri BottasWilliams/Mercedes51.015s
7Max VerstappenRed Bull/Renault54.236s
8Sergio PerezForce India/Mercedes1m04.954s
9Felipe MassaWilliams/Mercedes1m05.617s
10Nico HulkenbergForce India/Mercedes1m18.656s
11Romain GrosjeanHaas/Ferrari1 Lap
12Jenson ButtonMcLaren/Honda1 Lap
13Esteban GutierrezHaas/Ferrari1 Lap
14Fernando AlonsoMcLaren/Honda1 Lap
15Carlos SainzToro Rosso/Ferrari1 Lap
16Marcus EricssonSauber/Ferrari1 Lap
17Kevin MagnussenRenault1 Lap
18Esteban OconManor/Mercedes2 Laps
-Daniil KvyatToro Rosso/FerrariBattery
-Pascal WehrleinManor/MercedesOil pressure
-Jolyon PalmerRenaultCollision
-Felipe NasrSauber/FerrariCollision
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
POSDRIVERPOINTS
1Lewis Hamilton250
2Nico Rosberg248
3Daniel Ricciardo161
4Sebastian Vettel143
5Kimi Raikkonen136
6Max Verstappen121
7Valtteri Bottas70
8Sergio Perez62
9Nico Hulkenberg46
10Felipe Massa41
11Fernando Alonso30
12Carlos Sainz30
13Romain Grosjean28
14Daniil Kvyat23
15Jenson Button17
16Kevin Magnussen6
17Pascal Wehrlein1
18Stoffel Vandoorne1
19Esteban Gutierrez0
20Jolyon Palmer0
21Marcus Ericsson0
22Felipe Nasr0
23Rio Haryanto0
24Esteban Ocon0
CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP
POSCONSTRUCTORPOINTS
1Mercedes498
2Red Bull/Renault290
3Ferrari279
4Williams/Mercedes111
5Force India/Mercedes108
6McLaren/Honda48
7Toro Rosso/Ferrari45
8Haas/Ferrari28
9Renault6
10Manor/Mercedes1
11Sauber/Ferrari0