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Lewis Hamilton raised his hands and accepted responsibility for his costly stop-and-go penalty at an Italian Grand Prix won by Pierre Gasly.
Another simple afternoon seemed in store for pole-sitter Hamilton at Monza as he built up a considerable lead in the early stages of the race, but his decision to pit while the yellow flags were out before the race’s midpoint ultimately proved his undoing. .
The pitlane had been closed because Kevin Magnussen had abandoned his car nearby, but Hamilton and Antonio Giovinazzi did not register the warning light and entered on new tires, resulting in 10-second penalties for the duo.
However, Hamilton only found out that punishment was coming after Charles Leclerc’s big accident caused the race to come to a halt soon after, meaning the Formula One drivers’ championship leader had to pit after the restart. and then resume at the back of the pack.
As he guided his Mercedes back to seventh place, it was AlphaTauri’s Gasly who took the first checkered flag of his F1 career ahead of McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll.
“First of all, many congratulations to Pierre, it is a great result for him,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“To be abandoned by the best team [Red Bull] to beat the top team, I’m really very happy for him.
“It wasn’t meant to be for me today, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I enjoyed the battle, the next one.”
Hamilton’s mood could have been worse if his championship rivals had managed to capitalize on his mistake, but neither his teammate Valtteri Bottas nor Red Bull’s Max Verstappen enjoyed great starts either.
Bottas dropped from second to sixth after a shocking start to the race, although he finished fifth, while Verstappen, who was 11th when the race was halted after Leclerc’s accident, was forced to retire later.
Hamilton started the day with a 47-point lead over Verstappen, an advantage that remains the same, albeit with Bottas now second in the drivers’ standings.
“I take responsibility for not seeing the tables,” admitted Hamilton.
“But finishing seventh and doing a fast lap, I’ll definitely take it.
“Max Verstappen didn’t score any points so it’s not a big loss today.”
