Lewis Hamilton took his 59th career victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon - turning his record-braking pole position into his fourth win at the Monza circuit and his sixth win of the 2017 season.
This result marked the 72nd victory for the Silver Arrows in Formula One. It also enabled Lewis to take the lead in the Drivers' Championship for the first time this season and he now sits three points ahead of Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.
This dominant performance delivered on the home turf of their main competitor made it a pretty memorable day for Lewis and the team, especially with how tightly fought this year's championship is…
“This is obviously an incredibly exciting season; the last two races have been really strong for us as a team. The way things have come together in the second half of the season is exceptional,” Lewis said. “The car felt fantastic, particularly on that first stint. As we had a bit of breathing room behind us, it was easier for us to extend the life of the tyres.”
To make it the perfect day, teammate Valtteri Bottas came through to make it a one two finish the third one-two victory for Mercedes in the 2017 season. Lewis also became the first driver this year to take back to back wins. (Spa and Monza)
“Valtteri did a fantastic job to get through and get this one-two,” Lewis praised. “It is amazing to have the first back-to-back wins in a long, long time and claim the lead in the championship. But the fight will continue, the Ferrari's have been really quick this season, especially on the high-downforce tracks. It will continue to be really close between us, so it will be 'beast mode' all the way to the last chequered flag.”
