Formula One news: Fernando Alonso records stunning Italian GP win
Spaniard Fernando Alonso gave another outstanding performance to keep alive his hopes of winning the championship this season with a win at the Italian Grand Prix, which has consolidated his position and given him a realistic chance of toppling the two leading contenders for the title Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton of Britain.
Alonso was at his brilliant best, as he tackled the challenge of the rest of the drivers to stake his claim for the ultimate prize in racing.
The win was his first Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari in an eventful race that saw the 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton crash out in less than a lap handing the championship lead to Alonso’s rival Australian Mark Webber.
This was the first win for teams Ferrari at their home circuit since their legendary driver Michael Schumacher's won the event four years ago.
Alonso finally succeeded in winning the confidence of his fans with a spell binding performance that gave the roaring supporters something to cheer about after he was initially overtaken at the start by McLaren's world champion Jenson Button.
Button who like his compatriot Hamilton hails from Britain, was at the forefront of the race leading the way for more than half the race.
He was ahead a little more than a second in the race but failed to do enough to take the top spot, as he relinquished his lead and was forced to finish at the runner-up spot.
He was displaced in the race after he had to give up on his advantage at the pitstop after 36 of total 53 laps.
Red Bull’s Webber took full advantage of Lewis Hamilton’s misfortune early on in the race, as he gained five points after finishing at the sixth spot.
The Italian GP results have left the championship run wide open as the top five drivers are now separated by a mere 24 points.
The total points available are 25 and only five races are left, which means that the last stage of the championship would be one of the most exciting in recent racing history.
The top five slots have been taken by Webber, Hamilton, Alonso, Button and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
However the Italian GP was all about Ferrari, as their grand performance gave their fans renewed hope of a win at the championship.
The joy would have been doubled, if Ferrari team would have taken the top two spots but that was denied to them when Button powered on at last stage.
After the race a jubilant Alonso dubbed the event as a “fantastic race,” who started the final day at pole position, and had claimed that the race in Monza was crucial to his chances after he had failed to make an impact at the last race held in Belgium last month.
Meanwhile the other Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was also happy to finish on the podium after he had launched a real challenge against Alonso early on in the race.
His main contribution to his team’s cause was to help get rid of one of the real challengers on the track Lewis Hamilton, who succeeded in knocking out the Brit at Della Roggia chicane on the opening lap.
The two drivers came in contact as their wheels collided as they bid to overtake each other, yet it was the 2008 champion who suffered more as his front right suspension was broken by the impact.
This was the second time in three races that Hamilton had crashed out, although the two misfortunes are sandwiched by a win in the Belgium circuit.
Provisional results at Monza on Sunday are as follows:
1. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1hr 16mins 24.572secs
2. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren-Mercedes +00:02.938
3. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 00:04.223
4. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 00:28.196
5. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 00:29.942
Tags: