Italian Grand Prix 2018 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Lewis Hamilton claimed a crucial victory at Ferrari's home Italian Grand Prix at Monza, capitalizing on Sebastian Vettel's costly mistake to extend his championship lead to 30 points. The race marked another critical error from Vettel under pressure, as the German spun while attempting to defend against Hamilton's challenge, dropping from first to fourth and dealing a devastating blow to Ferrari's title hopes in front of the passionate Tifosi.

Kimi Raikkonen started from pole position and led the early stages, but Hamilton applied relentless pressure throughout the race from second place. On lap 44, as Hamilton closed to within DRS range of race leader Vettel, the Ferrari driver made an unforced error at the Roggia chicane while attempting an aggressive defensive move. Vettel spun his SF71H, dropping to fourth place and allowing Hamilton to inherit the lead. The Mercedes driver controlled the remainder of the race to claim his seventh victory of the season and set the fastest lap.

Raikkonen finished second for Ferrari after his strong weekend, while Valtteri Bottas completed the podium in third for Mercedes. The result was catastrophic for Vettel's championship aspirations - another self-inflicted mistake at a crucial moment when Ferrari had the pace to win. The 30-point deficit to Hamilton with seven races remaining made the title an increasingly distant prospect. For the Tifosi in the grandstands, witnessing their team throw away victory at the Temple of Speed through driver error was a bitter pill to swallow.