Lewis Hamilton has been confirmed as the winner of the Italian Grand Prix after stewards rules his car was NOT illegal, despite a post-race stewards inquiry.
The world champion came home in first place at Monza, but faced an anxious wait to see if he would keep the win.
Even as he celebrated on the podium, his emphatic victory was cast in doubt after Mercedes were called to see the race stewards following an alleged tyre pressure breach.
However, according to mirror.co.uk, a technical delegate report issued by the FIA, the sport’s governing body, claimed Hamilton’s left-hand side rear tyre was “0.3 psi below the minimum tyre starting pressure”.
Representatives from Mercedes reported to the stewards at 3.15pm UK time and the FIA’s final decision was revealed shortly before 5pm.
Their statement read: “Having heard from the Technical Delegate, the Team Representatives and the Pirelli Team Tyre engineer, the Stewards have determined that the pressure in the tyres concerned were at the minimum start pressure recommended by Pirelli when they were fitted to the car.
“In making this determination regarding the pressures, the stewards noted that the tyre warming blankets had been disconnected from their power source as it is normal procedure and the tyres were significantly below the maximum permitted tyre blanket temperature at the time of the FIA’s measurement on the grid, and at significantly different temperatures from other cars measured on the grid.
“Further, the stewards are satisfied that the team followed the currently specified procedures, supervised by the tyre manufacturer for the safe operation of the tyres. Therefore the stewards decided to take no further action.
“Nevertheless, the Stewards recommend that the tyre manufacturer and the FIA hold further meetings to provide clear guidance to the teams on measurement protocols.”
The result means the Brit ace is a whopping 53 points ahead of his nearest challenger in the title fight, Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, whose race literally went up in flames when his engine caught on fire just two laps from the end.
Williams pair Felipe Massa and Valteri Bottas had a good day for Williams, finishing third and fourth.
In another miserable day for McLaren Honda, Jenson Button trailed home in 14th, just one place ahead of Will Stevens’ Manor, while Fernando Alonso failed to finish with mechanical problems.
Posted by Janice Johnson
