Lewis Hamilton Takes Championship Lead After Italian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has jumped to the top of the championship for the first time this season after taking a dominant win at the Italian Grand Prix.

The British driver started from pole position after a delayed and rain-affected qualifying session on Saturday. Alongside him on the grid was Lance Stroll from Williams and Force India’s Esteban Ocon in third.

As the green flag dropped for the start of the race, Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, muscled his way up the pack to sit behind Hamilton, a position he maintained for the entirety of the race. Despite a poor qualifying, Sebastian Vettel claimed the final step on the podium in a valiant effort that keeps him within 3 points of Hamilton in the race for the championship.

The driver of the day was certainly Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian started 16th on the grid after incurring engine penalties but was able to thread his way through the field to finish fourth. At one stage, it appeared he may have been able to catch Vettel in the closing laps but he was unable to do so.

Rounding out the top 10 was Raikkonen, Ocon, Stroll, Massa, Perez and Verstappen.