Italian Grand Prix: Hamilton eyeing lead extension

Brit enters Monza, where he has won the last three times, nine points ahead of Rosberg

MONZA: Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton heads to this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix knowing that a hat-trick of successive wins at Monza will put him in charge of the title race after one of the most rollercoaster seasons of his career.

The Briton has a nine-point lead ahead of Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg going into the final race of the European season, leaving seven overseas contests remaining.

“The result in Spa, at the Belgian Grand Prix, was as good as damage limitation can be, for me — a fantastic result for me and for the team,” said Hamilton. “Now we go to Monza, a track I know well from so many racing categories in my career and one that is impossible not to love. I had a perfect weekend last year and I know if I can repeat that it will be amazing.”



Hamilton, who was 43 points behind after five races, knows he will face a tough challenge from not only Rosberg, but also Ferrari on their home turf as they seek to end a run of disappointing results in front of the ‘tifosi’.

“I’m enjoying this battle and we’ve got several cars in the mix,” said Rosberg. “For me, it is one at a time and every race is like a cup final. It’s great to know I have the team and the car to go out and lay it on the line.”

Beyond the intra-team scrap for glory at Mercedes, it will be Ferrari attracting most attention as team chief Maurizio Arrivabene looks for a result that will support his opinion that the scarlet Scuderia have made progress and are ready to challenge for a win.



The two Ferrari drivers, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, crashed at the first corner in Belgium, in a controversial collision also involving teenager Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

The aftermath of that three-way shunt is likely to continue to reverberate at Monza as the drivers and teams try to prove their positions before moving on.

“For us, there are some positives from Spa,” said Arrivabene. “Our car was fast and resilient throughout and now we can turn the page and go to Monza feeling positive.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2016.

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