Alonso wins the Italian GP

Fernando Alonso gave the tifosi a lot to cheer for as he won the Italian GP ahead of Jenson Button and Felipe Massa.

This was the perfect result for the Spaniard after his DNF in Belgium and it put him right back in contention for the championship as Lewis Hamilton didn’t score.

Jenson Button made the most of a good start to take the lead while polesitter Fernando Alonso had to fend off the assaults of his teammate Felipe Massa.

A few corners later, disaster struck for Lewis Hamilton as he couldn’t avoid making contact with Massa’s Ferrari. His front-right suspension was damaged and the championship leader’s race ended in a gravel trap on the opening lap.

At the end of the first lap Button was leading from Alonso and Massa. Rosberg was up in fourth with Kubica in fifth. The Red Bull drivers were down in P7 and P9.

Alonso put immense pressure on Button in the first part of the race but couldn’t find a way past the McLaren driver. And the Spaniard had better to keep an eye on his teammate Massa. Button upped the pace on lap 11 to break the Ferraris. He built himself a 1.6 second lead in just two laps.

Further back, a tense battle was looming between Vettel and Webber. At the front, Alonso reacted to Button’s pace and shaved five tenths off the Briton’s lead. Things then settled down a bit. Webber passed his teammate for P7 on lap 20. The German had just reported an engine problem.

Alonso was all over the rear of Button once again on lap 25 but remained stuck behind him. They traded the fastest time until the end of this first stint. As Webber couldn’t find a way past Hulkenberg, Vettel closed back on him.

Fifth-placed Kubica was the first of the frontrunners to pit. He stopped on lap 34. Rosberg and Webber stopped at the end of lap 35. Race leader Button pitted on lap 37 hence relinquishing the lead to Alonso. The Spaniard stopped in the following lap and rejoined right ahead of Button.

It was then Massa’s turn to pit and he safely rejoined in third place. Yet to stop, Vettel was up in fourth place and setting the same pace as the leaders. Meanwhile, Webber was once again stuck behind Hulkenberg’s Williams.

Now running in clean air, Alonso set a new fastest lap to shake off Button. He had a 1.5s lead on the McLaren driver on lap 41. By lap 44 the gap between them was up to 2.4 seconds.

Webber eventually passed Hulkenberg for sixth on lap 50. The Red Bull team delayed Vettel’s stop to the very end and he eventually stopped on lap 52! The gamble paid off as he rejoined in P4.

Alonso won the race ahead of Button and Massa. Vettel took fourth, Rosberg fifth and Webber sixth. Hulkenberg, Kubica, Schumacher and Barrichello completed the top ten.

Kobayashi, Senna, Trulli and di Grassi retired.