Race Notes - Vettel dominates the Italian GP

Sebastian Vettel won the Italian Grand Prix in dominate style in his Red Bull-Renault at Monza today, 5.4 seconds ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, and the second Red Bull on Mark Webber in finishing 6.3 seconds behind the leader in third.

Vettel extends his lead in the world championship to 53 points over Alonso, and takes his 32nd career win - tying Alonso for fourth in the all-time list. It is Vettel's sixth win of the season.

Felipe Massa (9.3s) in the second Ferrari finished fourth, followed by Nico Hulkenberg (10.3s) in the Sauber-Ferrari in fifth, Nico Rosberg (10.9s) in the Mercedes GP in sixth, Daniel Ricciardo (32.3s) in the Toro Rosso-Ferrari in seventh, Romain Grosjean (33.1s) in the Lotus-Renault in eighth, Lewis Hamilton (33.5s) in the Mercedes GP in ninth and Jenson Button (38.3s) in the McLaren-Mercedes in the final points paying position in tenth.

Earlier before the race a few showers came through the area, and there are thoughts that more showers might be possible for the race.

Pirelli expects drivers to make either one or two stops during the race, unless we see any rain.

Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton and Esteban Gutierrez are starting on hard compound tyres, the rest starting on mediums.

At the start Vettel takes the lead from pole position, locking up his tyres into the first chicane. Massa gets the jump on Webber and takes second, while Alonso is up to fourth, Hulkenberg fifth.

Raikkonen has front wing damage after touching Perez into the first corner, and has to pit after the first lap.

Paul di Resta makes contact at the second chicane hitting his front left tyre into the back of Grosjean and is out on the spot.

On lap 3 at the second chicane Alonso draws even with Webber and takes third place.

At lap 5 Vettel leads Massa by 2.8 seconds, followed by Alonso (4.0s), Webber (5.0s), Hulkenberg (5.9s), Rosberg (6.9s), Ricciardo (7.5s), Sergio Perez (9.1s), Jean-Eric Vergne (10.0s), Hamilton (10.4s) in tenth place, Raikkonen runs in 21st setting fast lap at 1m29.1s.

On lap 8 in the DRS zone, Alonso passes Massa into the first chicane to take over second place.

On lap 9 Vettel sets fastest lap at 1m29.0s and leads Alonso by 4.8 seconds.

Di Resta's collision with Grosjean will be investigated after the race.

On lap 10 Raikkonen sets fastest lap at 1m28.9s.

Red Bull tells Vettel on the radio, "we are monitoring the right front. We know it doesn't look good".

On lap 12 Mercedes tells Hamilton to come into the pit, as he has a slow puncture. Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m28.8s. Hamilton continues on another lap - he reportedly has radio problems as well.

On lap 14 Hamilton pits a switches to medium compound tyres - and rejoins in 19th. Button is pressuring Vergne for ninth place.

At lap 15 Vettel continues to lead Alonso by 6.4 seconds, followed by Massa (9.0s), Webber (9.7s), Hulkenberg (12.4s), Rosberg (13.4s), Ricciardo (14.7s), Perez (16.2s), Button (19.4s) and Grosjean (20.2s) in tenth place.

On lap 15 Vergne pulls off and retires with a mechanical failure at the right rear of the car.

On lap 16 Webber is pushing Massa for third place.

On lap 18 Rosberg has closed to a second behind Hulkenberg in fifth place. Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m28.6s. Charles Pic and Guido Van der Garde pit.

Vettel leads Alonso by 6.6 seconds.

The Sauber team tells Hulkenberg that they don't expect rain during the race.

On lap 21 Grosjean pits from tenth place and switches to hard compound tyres. Raikkonen sets another fast lap at 1m28.3s.

On lap 22 Button pits from ninth. Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m28.1s.

On lap 23 Ricciardo pit from seventh, Perez from eighth. Alonso has closed Vettel's lead to 5.3 seconds.

On lap 24 Vettel pits from the lead. Webber pits as well. Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m28.0s.

Ferrari tells Alonso to push.

On lap 25 Massa and Hulkenberg both pit.m as well as Adrian Sutil and Pastor Maldonado.

Through the stop, Webber gets ahead of Massa.

At lap 26 Alonso leads Rosberg by 8.5 seconds, followed by Vettel (17.9s), Gutierrez (23,9s), Webber (28.9s), Massa (30.6s), Raikkonen (31.6s), Hulkenberg (32.8s), Hamilton (34.1s) and Ricciardo (37.9s) in tenth place.

Vettel sets fast lap at 1m27.5s.

On lap 26 Rosberg pits from second place.

Vettel is running fast laps, and Red Bull tells him that he is it is more than they need.

On lap 28 Alonso pits and switches to hard tyres and rejoins between Vettel and Webber. Alonso's tyres have four less laps on them. Gutierrez pits from medium tyres.

Vettel leads Alonso by 10.2 seconds after the stop.

On lap 29 Hamilton passes his team mate Rosberg at the first chicane to take seventh place. Red Bull tells Webber to watch after his tyres as they need to last the rest of the race.

On lap 30 Hulkenberg is pushing Raikkonen for fifth place.

On lap 31 Raikkonen makes his second stop for more medium tyres. Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m27.3s.

On lap 32 Hamilton passes Hulkenberg at the Curva Grande to take fifth place.

Riccardo, Button and Perez battle over eighth place.

On lap 34 Hamilton sets another fast lap at 1m27.3s.

At lap 35 Vettel leads Alonso by 10.9 seconds, followed by Webber (12.6s), Massa (14.3s), Hamilton (17.3s), Hulkenberg (19.4s), Rosberg (20.3s), Ricciardo (26.6s), Button (27.2s) and Perez (28.5) in tenth place. Raikkonen runs 14th.

On lap 36 Rosberg, chasing Hulkenberg, locks his brakes into the first chicane and takes to the escape road and then rejoins.

On lap 38 Grosjean passes Perez into the first chicane for tenth place.

On lap 39 Hamilton pits from fifth for more medium tyres and rejoins in 14th place. Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m27.0s.

On lap 40 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m26.6s.

Webber is closing to within a second of Alonso in second place. There are reports of a few drops of rain, but the track appears to still be dry.

Red Bull tells Webber on the radio "we have an issue - we have to short-shift at turn 2".

On lap 42 Webber is 0.5 seconds behind Alonso.

On lap 43 Sutil passes Gutierrez out of the Parabolica. Raikkonen passes the Mexican as well.

On lap 44 Vettel is being told to short-shift as well. Hamilton passes Gutierrez for 13th place.

At lap 45 Vettel leads Alonso by 10.8 seconds, followed by Webber (11.6s), Massa (13.8s), Hulkenberg (18.0s), Rosberg (18.6s), Ricciardo (32.8s), Grosjean (34.2s), Button (35.0s) and Perez (35.9s) in tenth.

On lap 45 Raikkonen passes Sutil in Parabolica, Grosjean passes Button for eighth.

Lotus tells Raikkonen to not use KERS out of Parabolica, as it is causing the battery to go flat.

On lap 47 Hamilton is chasing Raikkonen for 11th. He draws side-by-side in the first chicane, but can't get by.

On lap 49 Hamilton has another go and passes Raikkonen into the Curva Grande.

On lap 50 Hamilton passes Perez into the first chicane for 10th place.

On lap 51 Hamilton passes Button for ninth.

On lap 52 Raikkonen passes Perez for 11th. Hamilton takes fast lap at 1m25.8s

Vettel holds on to take the win over Alonso and Webber.