Hamilton wins Italian Grand Prix

ERJ staff report (TP)

Monza, Italy – Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Pirelli’s home race held half an hour’s drive from the company’s HQ in Milan.

Hamilton won the race on 7 September with a one-stop strategy, starting on the Pirelli P Zero White medium tire and then switching to the P Zero Orange hard for the rest of the race.

He is now seventh in the all-time list of grand prix winners, surpassing fellow Briton Sir Jackie Stewart. Hamilton was presented with his trophy on the podium by Pirelli brand ambassador Jean Alesi.

The winning strategy was adopted by the majority of frontrunners, with the top 10 finishers all using similar tactics. At one of the fastest races of the year, with approximately a 24-second time loss in the pit lane, most drivers were able to take advantage of the low wear and degradation of both compounds to stop only once: clearly the best way to approach the race.

Temperatures were slightly cooler than they had been during the weekend previously, with the race starting in 29 degrees ambient and 44 degrees of track temperature.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “Throughout the weekend, wear and degradation rates were low on both compounds – even with the punishing speeds and impacts with kerbs that the tires have to face here at Monza.

“We’ve seen top speeds during the race in excess of 360kph, putting on a great show for the spectators. Also, we’ve experienced no blistering during the course of the weekend, which can occasionally be an issue at Monza.”