Double world champion Fernando Alonso led a McLaren one-two in the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday to cut team mate Lewis Hamilton’s lead to three points with four races remaining.
Hamilton (22) had another highly impressive afternoon but the British rookie was doomed to follow in the Spaniard’s slipstream after his teammate secured pole position in Saturday’s qualifying.
He crossed the line six seconds behind Alonso, who celebrated his 19th career win and fourth of the season.
Hamilton now has 92 points to Alonso’s 89 in what looks increasingly like a two-man battle, dependant on the outcome of a hearing of the governing body in Paris on Thursday that could wreck their title hopes.
Ferrari, winners four times in the previous five seasons at the temple of Italian motorsport, had to make do with Kimi Raikkonen’s third place.
The Finn fell further behind in the title reckoning, 18 points adrift of Hamilton who highlighted his talents further by overtaking the Ferrari for second place with a brilliant move after his final pitstop.
On a sunny but miserable afternoon for Ferrari, ever more McLaren’s bitter enemies since a spying row erupted between the two in July, Brazilian Felipe Massa was forced to retire with just 10 laps gone.
Massa’s title hopes took a severe dent, with the Brazilian now 23 points off the lead despite having three wins to his credit.
Germany’s Nick Heidfeld was fourth for BMW Sauber with Polish teammate Robert Kubica fifth and Germany’s Nico Rosberg sixth for Williams.
Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen was seventh for champions Renault while Briton Jenson Button took his and Honda’s second point of the season in eighth place.
While Alonso led from pole position, Hamilton created the early fireworks at the start when he clawed back second place by going around the outside of Massa at the first corner after the Brazilian had gone past him.
McLaren lead Ferrari by 166 points to 143 in the constructors’ championship, pending Thursday’s hearing and another appeal by the Mercedes-powered team to try and claim back 15 points lost in Hungary last month. – Reuters