Race Notes - Rosberg wins in Italy

By Mark Karp

Nico Rosberg won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his Mercedes GP.

After dropping to sixth with a slow start, Lewis Hamilton came back to finish in second place, 15.0 seconds behind.

Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari finished in third place - 20.9 seconds behind the winner.

The win is Rosberg‘s seventh victory of the 2016 season, and 21st career win. He closes to two points behind Hamilton in the world championship.

Kimi Raikkonen (27.5s) in the second Ferrari finished fourth, followed by Daniel Ricciardo (45.2s) in the Red Bull in fifth place, Valtteri Bottas (51.0s) in the Williams-Mercedes was sixth, Max Verstappen (54.2s) in the second Red Bull finished seveth, Sergio Perez (64.9s) in the Force India-Mercedes was eighth, the second Williams of Felipe Massa (65.6s) finished ninth, and Nico Hulkenberg (78.6s) in the second Force India finished in the final points position in tenth.

Before the start, the sky was overcast in preparation of the Italian GP, drivers looking at either a one stopper on softs then mediums, or a two stopper with two stints on supersofts, and then one on softs at the end of the race.

The drivers give pause before the start for the recent earthquake victims in Italy.

Hamilton starts from pole for the 56th time, with his Mercedes GP team mate Rosberg in second, the Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen on row 2, Bottas and Ricciardo on row 3, Verstappen and Perez on row 4 and Hulkenberg and Gutierrez rounding out the top ten.

The two Mercedes starting on soft tyres, and the rest of the top ten starting on super soft compound tyres, the rest of the field having a mix of soft and super soft tyres.

At two pm local time, the drivers set off on the formation lap, and came around to the grid - the lights went out and the race starts with Rosberg taking the lead ahead of the two Ferraris - Hamilton falling back to sixth.

At the start of lap 2 Ricciardo passes Ricciardo for fifth place. Felipe Nasr and Joylon Palmer touch, and Nasr out on the spot. Palmer pits at the end of the lap.

On lap 4 Hamilton looks to battle Bottas for fourth place.

At lap 4 Rosberg leads Vettel by 1.7 seconds, followed by Raikkonen, Bottas, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Perez, Massa, Alonso and Verstappen in tenth. Gutierrez fell back to 18th with a slow start.

On lap 5 Rosberg sets fast lap at 1m27.234s.

Raikkonen is told by Ferrari, ‘we still need you to cool the engine‘Ï, the finn replies that he can‘t slow down or he will lose the tow.

On lap 8 Verstappen passes Alonso for ninth place.

Nasr is handed a ten second penalty for causing a collision - but the Brazilian is already out of the race.

Palmer‘s Renault is retired in the pits.

At the startt of lap 10 Hamilton passes Bottas into the first chicane and takes fourth place, 11 seconds behind Rosberg in the lead. Rosberg sets fast lap at 1m26.760s.

On lap 11 Hamilton reports that his tyres are losing grip, and says ‘the rears are pretty wasted already‘Ï.

On lap 14 Bottas, Verstappen and Alonso all pit.

On lap 15 Bottas passes Sainz for 10th place. Raikkonen pits for another set of super soft tyres. Perez pits for new soft tyres.

Sauber have gotten Nasr car into the pit lane again for him to serve the 10-second penalty.

On lap 17 Vettel pits for new super soft tyres as well.

Bottas battles with Grosjean for 5th place, the Haas yet to pit - Bottas gets past at the start of lap 19. Ricciardo gets past Grosjean as well later in the lap.

At lap 20 Rosberg leads Hamilton - both yet to pit - by 13.4 seconds, followed by Vettel (34.8s), Raikkonen (36.5s), Bottas (45.0s), Ricciardo (46.1s), Grosjean (49.5s), Perez (50.4s), Verstappen (52.8s) and Massa (55.3s) in tenth place.

Alonso passes Sainz for 12th.

On lap 25 Ricciardo is closing on Bottas in fifth. Rosberg pits for the first time from the lead for medium compound tyres, and comes out in second. Hamilton pits the next lap for medium tyres as well, and he comes out fourth behind the two Ferraris in fourth.

Mercedes tells Hamilton, ‘the Ferraris must stop again, we just need to match their times‘Ï.

On lap 26 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m26.303s. Wehrlein stops his Manor on the side of the track and is out.

On lap 29 Perez and Grosjean both pit.

Hamilton has closed the gap on Raikkonen to 2.5 seconds.

At lap 30 Rosberg leads Vettle by 4.2 seconds, followed by Raikkonen (7.3s), Hamilton (9.6s), Ricciardo (21.7s), Verstappen (28.9s), Massa (34.5s), Hulkenberg (42.6s), Bottas (44.1s), and Alonso (50.6s) in tenth place.

On lap 33 Bottas passes Hulkenberg for eighth place.

On lap 34 Vettel pits from third, with a slow stop for soft tyres and he rejoins in fifth.

Raikkonen pits the next lap for soft tyres as well, and he rejoins in sixth behind Vettel and Raikkonen.

On lap 36 Verstappen pits for soft tyres as well and rejoins in ninth. Massa pits the next lap from eighth.

Kvyat is handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pits.

On lap 38 Ricciardo pits for super soft tyres and rejoins sixth. Button pits.

At lap 40 Rosberg continues to lead Hamilton by 10.6 seconds, followed by Vettel (27.2s), Raikkonen (34.1s), Bottas (45.8), Ricciardo (48.9s), Perez (53.0s), Verstappen (56.5s), Massa (68.0s), and Hulkenberg (75.0s) in tenth place.

Hamilton locks up into the first chicane and cuts over the kerbs, but continues.

On lap 42 Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m26.287s.

Sainz passes Ericssson for 15th.

Button closes on Alonso and passes his team mate for 12th.

Ricciardo closes on Bottas in fifth place.

On lap 47 Ricciardo dives down the inside of Bottas at the first chicane and takes fifth place.

Verstappen passes Perez for seventh.

On lap 50 Alonso pits once again.

Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m26.016s - Alonso, on new tyres goes faster the next lap at 1m25.340s.

Rosberg holds his position and wins ahead of Hamilton and Vettel.