Hamilton keeps win after investigation over tyre pressure
Vettel 2nd, Massa 3rd, Bottas 4th, Raikkonen 5th
Hamilton told to push by team in closing stages despite big lead
Rosberg out with engine failure
Grosjean, Maldonado, Alonso out
By some distance, Ferrari have won more races than any other team at Monza with 18 triumphs.
There's more stats like that, plus why Monza's industrial centre might be of interest to Lewis Hamilton, here.
Image source, Getty ImagesI've just seen a flash of tartan trousers walking through the paddock. It can only be the one and only Sir Jackie Stewart.
The Scot is at the scene of his first-ever win in Formula 1, having secured victory at the Italian Grand Prix 50 years ago.
TheSun on Sunday describe Hamilton as 'Hair to the throne' and say he was 'in seventh heaven' after taking pole position but they have some harsh words for Honda, as the McLarens continue to struggle. They say: 'There are simply no excuses for their continued failure, especially given that they are spending around £300m a year.'
Image source, The Sun on SundayPlenty of puns on Lewis Hamilton's new hairstyle in the Sunday papers. Describing the Briton as a 'Blond Bombshell', the Sunday Mirror says Mercedes will be taking 'a massive gamble' by keeping the new specification engine in Hamilton's car after a problem with was discovered with Nico Rosberg's. The Mirror say: 'Mercedes boffins now fear the world champion's all-conquering power plant may go the same way in a race run mostly at a staggering 220mph.'
Image source, Sunday Mirror
Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Monza
“Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were rampant two weeks ago in Belgium, and Ferrari had to risk a one-stop strategy in an attempt to turn a likely fifth or sixth place into a podium, a gamble which ended in the spectacular tyre blow-out experienced by Sebastian Vettel.
"One race on, though, and Ferrari are an altogether more serious force on home ground, second and third on the grid and only 0.2secs from Hamilton, thanks to an engine upgrade. ‘They have obviously made an improvement,’ Hamilton said. ‘They have definitely made a step with their engine for qually. I still think the gap can be bigger.
"It’s great to see them making a step forward and giving us a run for our money.’ Was he expecting a stronger challenge from Ferrari in the race? ‘I’m expecting it, but the engineers I don’t believe are.’”
Image source, Getty ImagesA very rock and roll arrival to the circuit for Lewis Hamilton, who closed in on another record with pole yesterday.
He is now one behind Ayrton Senna's total of eight consecutive pole positions, and Hamilton said: "I never really think about the records. It's not really fair on Ayrton - he was so good that if he had lived beyond his passing... while I am getting close in terms of numbers, they are not really real."
Image source, Getty ImagesGiuseppe Farina was the winner of the first-ever Formula 1 race back in 1950 and also the maiden Italian Grand Prix that same year. Today's race is the the 65th at Monza.
Speaking in the drivers' parade, Nico Rosberg says Mercedes have discovered the nature of the problem that led to his engine change for qualifying and it is not related to the power unit.
The German revealed: "It was a chassis component. We have sorted it out but today it's still a compromise because we are using the old engine. It's done six races so the engine loses power."
Image source, Getty ImagesThe start is going to be crucial for Nico Rosberg.
Lining up fourth on the grid, he cannot afford to lose any positions early on, which means he needs to improve on his recent race starts.
Rosberg has lost positions on the first lap of the last three races in a row.
Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Monza
Image source, Getty Images“There was a tough break for Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson after qualifying. The Swede continued his strong recent form with a very impressive 10th place on the grid, but he was penalised three places for impeding Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg.
"The offence was clear, and Ericsson held his hands up. It turns out that his engineer had told him he did not need to look in his mirrors as there was no-one behind him on a flying lap, so he was focusing on maintaining the right gap to the Ferraris in front of him. But the engineer had misread the situation. He apologised and admitted his mistake, but by then it was too late.”
1) Hamilton 2) Raikkonen 3) Vettel 4) Rosberg 5) Massa 6) Bottas 7) Perez, 8) Grosjean 9) Hulkenberg 10) Maldonado
11) Nasr 12) Ericsson 13) Stevens 14) Merhi 15) Button 16) Alonso 17) Sainz, 18) Kvyat 19) Ricciardo 20) Verstappen
Jenson Button was asked about only accumulating five grid-place penalty.
"A good day," he joked.
Right, as is increasingly the norm these days, there are a fair few grid-place penalties to be applied that changes the order slightly from yesterday's qualifying.
Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen is set to start at the back after failing to progress to Q2 for the first time in his career and picking up a 20-place grid penalty for changing two power unit components.
Daniel Ricciardo is also on the back row after accumulating a total of 50 grid-place penalties, while his Red Bull team-mate Daniil Kvyat is set to line up in 18th after a 35-pace grid drop.
Just ahead of Kvyat is Carlos Sainz after also incurring a 35-place penalty, with McLaren's Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso starting 15th and 16th after being penalised for changing power unit elements.
Finally, Marcus Ericsson is down to 12th from 10th after being found to have impeded Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying.
Phew.
Image source, Getty ImagesSomething tells me Fernando Alonso is going to struggle to make it seven podiums at Monza, but stranger things have happened.
Actually, no they haven't.
Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Monza
Image source, Getty Images“Another dismal qualifying for McLaren and Honda led to a grilling for F1 boss Yasuhisa Arai at McLaren’s news conference later on Saturday.
"Arai had been quoted after the Belgian Grand Prix claiming that the internal combustion element of Honda’s engine was about 25bhp up on Renault’s - a figure with which not many other engineers in the paddock would concur. Arai finally admitted what has been an open secret for a while - that deployment of hybrid energy is Honda’s biggest problem.
"In other words, the boost of 160-180bhp provided by the hybrid system simply runs out partway down the straight. It was was left to Fernando Alonso to say precisely what that means for the team. ‘There are so many areas we need to improve,’ the Spaniard said, ‘but on a circuit that has six corners and on the GPS, we lose two or three tenths in those corners. The rest of the three seconds, we need to find on the straights."
Image source, Getty ImagesThis is a landmark race for Lewis Hamilton, with it being his 50th as a Mercedes driver.
Since joining the team in 2013, Hamilton has won 18 races and stood on the podium 30 times. In contrast McLaren - the team he left - have scored two podiums, both coming at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.
Fair to say that move has worked out well for Hamilton.
David Coulthard
BBC F1 co-commentator
Quote MessageI had a chance to talk to some of Mercedes' representatives. The engine that came out of Nico Rosberg's is said to be about three tenths of a second slower than the upgraded engine Lewis Hamilton has. That would suggest if they didn't have the upgrades Ferrari have made a huge turnaround since Spa where they were over a second off pole.
Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Monza
Image source, Getty Images"There is every reason to believe the Italian Grand Prix will not be the Lewis Hamilton cakewalk you might expect from seeing him on pole position. Quite apart from the uncertainty over the start, there is the fact that Mercedes face a renewed challenge from Ferrari courtesy of a significant engine upgrade for the red cars, and there are question marks about the reliability of the modified engine in Hamilton’s car after team-mate Nico Rosberg’s needed to be replaced ahead of qualifying.
"Hamilton said afterwards he had ‘no concerns’. Rosberg’s problem was a leak in the cooling system which contaminated the power-unit. Hamilton’s engine has been studied and Mercedes believe it has not problems. But it is fair to say there will probably be some crossed fingers in the Mercedes pit during the race.”
Image source, Getty Images