Hamilton spoils Ferrari’s party
MONZA, Italy: Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of five Italian Grand Prix wins yesterday and left Ferrari feeling the pain yet again in its own backyard.
The Briton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel clashed at the fourth corner of the opening lap, with the German spinning around before fighting back from 18th to fourth with a badly damaged car and all hope of victory gone.
Hamilton stretched his lead over Vettel from 17 points to 30 with seven races remaining.
Vettel’s veteran Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen finished second, after starting on pole position and racing superbly, with compatriot Valtteri Bottas third for Mercedes.
The thrilling victory was a fifth in a row for Mercedes at Monza, the historic circuit inside a former royal park near Milan, and one of Hamilton’s most successful.
‘‘It was one of the most exciting of victories that I’ve had, that I can remember,’’ Hamilton told reporters later.
New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley barely got a taste of the track.
‘‘The wheels came off before turn 1,’’ he said on Twitter of the incident in which his Torro Rosso was knocked by the cars of both Stoffel Vandoorne and Marcus Ericsson.
‘‘Things still haven’t gone my way but I won’t let it break me.’’