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McLaren dominates Italian GP

<b>THIRD RACE WIN FOR MCLAREN ACE:</b> Lewis Hamilton earns his third F1 race win of the 2012 season after dominating the Italian Grand Prix.
<b>THIRD RACE WIN FOR MCLAREN ACE:</b> Lewis Hamilton earns his third F1 race win of the 2012 season after dominating the Italian Grand Prix.
ITALY, Monza - Lewis Hamilton revived his bid for the 2012 Formula 1 world title with triumph for McLaren to record his first ever win in the Italian Grand Prix.

Starting from pole position, Hamilton led throughout apart from a brief spell during the mid-race pit stops to claim his third win in 2012 and the 20th of his career.

It lifted him back into contention for the championship. McLaren team mate Jenson Button's hopes of a second world title disappeared as he was forced to retire with 20 laps remaining.

BUTTON'S TITLE HOPES DASHED

Hamilton said: "This is amazing for me and I thank my team for doing an incredible job. It is a great day for everyone."

Alonso now leads the championship with 179 points ahead of Hamilton on 142 and former world champion Kimi Raikkonen on 141 with defending champion Sebastian Vettel on 140 with seven races remaining.

Button's demise allowed Sauber's Sergio Perez to gain full reward for a dazzling drive by finishing in second place, 4.3 seconds behind Hamilton. Perez finished 16.2 seconds ahead of championship leader Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, with Felipe Massa in fourth.

It was Perez's third podium finish of the season and endorsed the view of many paddock observers that he could be on the move to replace Massa at Ferrari in 2013.

Raikkonen finished fifth for Lotus ahead of the Mercedes duo Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg who finished sixth and seventh respectively.

Paul Di Resta finished in eighth for Force India ahead of Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Williams' Bruno Senna.

Vettel struggled through a disappointing race during which he forced Alonso off the track, was handed a drive-through penalty and finally retired his Red Bull due to technical problems.

Hamilton dominated from the start steering his McLaren clear of the field while Massa 20 metres behind him, used the leader's tow to pull clear and pass Button before the chicane.

IMAGE GALLERY

After one rebutted effort to pass Hamilton for the lead, Massa defended an attack from Button on approach to the second chicane. Behind them, Alonso moved swiftly from 10th to seventh.

In an intriguing early battle between Germany's two greatest drivers, Schumacher held fourth and resisted Vettel until lap four when the champion dived past him at the first chicane.

All this left Hamilton in command, leading Massa by more than four seconds by lap 15 when the pit stops began, Button, third, was a further 1.3 seconds adrift and Vettel, fourth, another 1.7 away with Alonso chasing him down.

Vettel's chances of winning disappeared when he was handed a drive-through penalty for his belligerent aggression, a punishment he took on lap 34, one lap after the luckless Button was forced to retire from second.

Button's demise lifted Massa to second ahead of Alonso with Perez flying on fresh tyres as the second stops began.

On lap 37, Massa was told to 'think about your tyres... Fernando is behind.' It was a coded message and, on lap 40, Alonso coasted by on the straight to take second.

Perez then swept around the outside of Massa to set up a dramatic finale with nine laps remaining and a little later moved up to second with another sensational move, on Alonso but was unable to trouble Hamilton.

2012 Italian Grand Prix at Monza results:


2012 Italian Grand Prix at Monza results:

1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min19min41.221
2 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari +4.356sec
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari +20.594
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari +29.667
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus +30.881
6 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes +31.259
7 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +33.550
8 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India - Mercedes +41.057
9 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 00min43.898
10 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams  00min48.144
11 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams +48.682
12 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso +50.316
13 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus +1min15.861
14 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham +1 lap
15 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham +1 lap
16 Charles Pic (France) Marussia +1 lap
17 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia +1 lap
18 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT +1 lap
19 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT +1 lap
20 R Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull +2 laps
21 R Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India +3 laps
22 R Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 6 laps
R Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 21 laps
R Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 45 laps
(rank: R = retired, nc = not classified)

Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg, 1min27.239, lap 53.

Qualifying times

1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min24.010
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min24.133
3 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min24.247
4 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min24.304
5 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.540
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min24.802
7 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.833
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min24.855
9 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min25.109
10 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.678
 
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min24.809
12 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min24.820
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min24.901
14 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min25.042
15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min25.312
16 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min25.408
17 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min25.441

18 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.382
19 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min26.887
20 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.039
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.073
22 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min27.441
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min27.629
24 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India

1-10: Third and final qualifying session
11-17: Second qualifying session
18-24: First qualifying session

Third practice times

1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min24.578
2 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min24.579
3 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min24.849
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min24.909
5 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min24.994
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.036
7 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min25.160
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min25.255
9 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min25.289
10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min25.383
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min25.389
12 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min25.406
13 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min25.461
14 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.563
15 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min25.689
16 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min25.706
17 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min25.973
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.003
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.657
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min27.267
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia  1min27.454
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia  1min27.728
23 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT  1min28.035
24 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT  1min28.384

Second pratice times

1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min25.290
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.328
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.348
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min25.430
5 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.446
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min25.504
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min25.546
8 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min25.547
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.068
10 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.094
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.104
12 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min26.157
13 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.394
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.404
15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min26.724
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min26.730
17 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min26.783
18 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.841
19 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.864
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min27.222
21 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.944
22 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.968
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min28.575
24 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT  1min28.779

First practice times:
1 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.422
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.723
3 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.762
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.800
5 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min25.861
6 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min25.944
7 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min26.046
8 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.323
9 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.390
10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.504
11 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.508
12 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min26.518
13 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min26.641
14 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min26.746
15 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min27.180
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Force India 1min27.192
17 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min27.37
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min27.789
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min27.855
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min28.578
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min28.751
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min29.207
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min29.331
24 Ma Qinghua (China) HRT 1min31.239

Stay with Wheels24 for the Italian Grand Prix weekend!

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