Hamilton’s first Italian win revives title bid

“This is amazing for me and I thank my team for doing an incredible job,” says Hamilton.

MONZA: Lewis Hamilton revived his bid for this year’s Formula One world title when he swept to a dominant triumph for McLaren to record his first win in the Italian Grand Prix yesterday.

The 27-year-old Briton, starting from pole position, led throughout apart from a brief spell during the mid-race pit-stops to claim his third win this year. It lifted him back into contention for the championship, but his McLaren teammate and fellow Briton Jenson Button’s hopes of a second world title disappeared as he was forced to retire with 20 laps remaining. Button’s demise allowed Mexican Sergio Perez of Sauber to gain full reward for a dazzling drive by finishing second 4.3 seconds behind Hamilton, 16.2 ahead of championship leader Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

“This is amazing for me and I thank my team for doing an incredible job,” said Hamilton. “It is a great day for everyone. It was very unfortunate for Jenson and for the team because we were running first and second at the time and it would have been fantastic for the team to have a 1-2. I don’t know what happened, but it was very unfortunate.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2012.