Lewis Hamilton pursues record sixth Italian Grand Prix victory at Monza

Italian fights back from 19th to edge George Russell Verstappen third for Red Bull, with Hamilton sixth Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix with an extraordinary drive for Mercedes at Monza, coming back from 19th on the grid to take his first win at his home race. It was a historic performance to beat his Mercedes teammate George Russell who had started in second place, into second, with Max Verstappen taking third for Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton was sixth, while his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc walked away unhurt from a huge accident early in the race when he went off at Parabolica. Continue reading...

Updates from qualifying for the Italian GP at Monza Lewis Hamilton aims for ‘phenomenal’ win | Mail Philip Italy loves Formula One. It is home to the most storied team in the sport’s history: Ferrari’s total of 16 constructors’ world titles is six better than McLaren’s, double the number of Mercedes’s. The first world championship race, at Silverstone in 1950, was won by Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo, and he went on to take the title; in 1952 and 1953, Alberto Ascari became the first driver to win back-to-back titles, and did so driving in a Ferrari. Yet 73 years after Ascari’s second triumph, he remains the last Italian to win the drivers’ title, albeit the American Mario Andretti, the 1978 champion, was born in 1940 in what was then Italy, but is now Croatia. Only Michele Alboreto has come remotely close, finishing second in 1985 but a distance behind Alain Prost, who became France’s first champion with two races to spare. The last Italian to win the world championship was Alberto Ascari in 1953 and the country has embraced their wunderkind in the German marque wholeheartedly. For all that Ferrari is a religion in Italy, in Monza Antonelli has brought Mercedes into the faith. This weekend Antonelli and Mercedes have already made one decision which is to put the title tilt first. The Italian is taking a raft of new engine components for which he will receive a penalty that means he will start from the back of the grid. He recognises that the overtaking opportunities at Monza made this the right choice, even as he deals with the weight on his shoulders as the home hero. Ferrari are bringing their second engine upgrade this weekend in expectation of narrowing the gap to title leaders Mercedes. Hamilton trails the championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, by 59 points, alongside Mercedes’ George Russell. If Hamilton wins the Italian GP he will pass Michael Schumacher’s record of five wins at Monza, all of which the German scored with Ferrari. The team are honouring him this weekend with a special livery to mark 30 years since Schumacher joined. Continue reading...

Scuderia bring upgraded engine to their home race Winning at Monza would be ‘new territory’ Lewis Hamilton believes a win for Ferrari at the team’s home race in the Italian Grand Prix would be a phenomenal moment in an already storied career for the seven-time champion. The British driver, who would make history if he takes the flag at Monza, endured a torrid time with the Scuderia last season but goes into the race this weekend with a win under his belt and a very competitive car that may prove to be even quicker on the high speed blast around the famous track. Continue reading...

Lewis Hamilton will seek to boost his hopes of an unprecedented eighth drivers' world championship with a record sixth Italian Grand Prix win on Sunday when he races on Ferrari's home tarmac.He won five times at the old royal park circuit between 2012 and 2018 and will hope Ferrari have reacted to his criticism of poor team work and strategy at last month's Dutch Grand Prix won by McLaren's world champion Lando Norris.