Hamilton wins to take championship lead
Mercedes driver leads Ferrari's Vettel by three points
Bottas second, Vettel third, Ricciardo fourth from 16th on grid
First back-to-back winner in F1 this season
Next race in Singapore on 17 September
Don't forget there's still time to pick your top three finishers for today's Italian Grand Prix.
Is Lewis Hamilton your man? Or are you holding out for a Ferrari Monza triumph?
Make your choice here.
Image source, Getty Images/BBC Sport
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Monza
Image source, ReutersOn Friday, Lewis Hamilton raised a few eyebrows when he posted a self-penned poem of questionable quality as an ode to Princess Diana to mark the 20th anniversary of her death. Ironic, then, that after setting his landmark pole record, he said: “I wish I was better with words, to be honest. I wish I had something really… something iconic to say but…”
Hamilton actually spoke eloquently of what his career had said for the power of believing in dreams, but in reality the lap spoke for itself. Hamilton was 1.154 seconds clear of the field, his place in a world of his own nicely summed up by second-fastest man Max Verstappen. “I heard I was on pole and my engineer was telling me all the sector times and I said: ‘Stop, stop, just tell me what Lewis is doing’ because he was the one to beat. He said “he’s going purple” and I was like, well, to be second here with the car, the whole package we have I think we did a very good job.”
Ben Berwick: Welcome to the Grid Penalty Grand Prix
These grid penalties are madness, we all know that.
But I thought this little nugget of info was worth imparting to highlight just how mad.
Remember Kevin Magnussen and Marcus Ericsson? They drive for Haas and Sauber and bowed out meekly in Q1 yesterday. Yes, those guys.
Well thanks to all these penalties Magnussen will take the start of today's race in ninth place and Ericsson 10th.
Great for them, sure, but it kind of makes a mockery of qualifying.
Image source, Getty ImagesAndrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Monza
McLaren always knew this would be a difficult weekend, but it was not looking too bad after Saturday. Yes, Fernando Alonso had a 35-place grid penalty but the car was quick in the wet, Stoffel Vandoorne made it into the top 10, albeit with a potential barrier removed in Alonso not trying in Q2 because McLaren wanted at least one car up there, and Alonso himself reckoned a top five might have been possible had he tried. But then Vandoorne could not run in Q3 because of a loss of power.
This was caused by a problem with the driveshaft on the MGU-K and while that can be replaced without penalty, Honda decided there was not enough time to do so under parc ferme conditions. Breaking them would have meant a pit-lane start, so they decided instead to fit a new engine and take the resultant 25-place penalty - at least partly because that meant he, like Alonso, would now have the latest spec 3.7 engine for Singapore. So the Belgian and the Spaniard start 18th and 20th on a track where engine power is so important - and they have much less of than anyone else. A long race is ahead, and you have to wonder how long it will last.
On the plus side, as McLaren see it, it seems that it is only a matter of time before their switch from Honda to Renault engines for 2018 is confirmed, even if it is not done yet and therefore could still fail to come off.
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That should mean Force India's Sergio Perez starts 13th now.
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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Monza
Image source, Getty ImagesWhat a difference a day makes. Perpetual rain on Saturday produced a classic, albeit long-winded, qualifying session, and Lewis Hamilton turned out a lap befitting the achievement it created in setting a new all-time pole position record. Sunday, though, is cloudless and blue, a perfect late-summer day in Lombardy. There’s a topsy-turvy grid for the fastest race of the year. Breathless action awaits at the climax to the European season.
Image source, Getty ImagesHello and welcome along to live coverage of today's Italian Grand Prix, round 13 of the 2017 F1 season.
Yesterday's Monza rain has been ushered away, replaced by a beautiful, sunny autumnal day.
Lewis Hamilton proved once again yesterday that he is the master of all conditions - fair or foul - as he swept to a record 69th career pole position - and sixth at Monza.
Victory from pole today will see him at the very least pull level with title rival Sebastian Vettel at the head of the standings.
The Ferrari, however, is starting down in sixth place, so Hamilton has very real aspirations of taking the lead outright.
It's all beautifully poised.
Just under 90 minutes until the lights go out. Let's do this.