Fernando Alonso kept alive his world championship challenge with a near-flawless drive for an emotional victory in the Italian Grand Prix yesterday, his maiden race on home soil for Ferrari.
The 29-year-old Spaniard had said he needed a victory to maintain his bid for a third world title in his first season with the Italian scuderia.
And he delivered a stirring performance to the tifosi in the grandstands of the old Autodromo Nazionale in a race that was nothing short of disastrous for championship leader Lewis Hamilton who retired on the opening lap.
Alonso lost a place after starting from his 19th pole position, but fought back and aided by a dazzling Ferrari pit-stop was able to hold on to win ahead of defending champion Jenson Button, of McLaren, and Felipe Massa, in the second Ferrari.
It was his third win this season and the 24th victory of his career and, unlike his triumph in Germany in July, when Massa was asked to give way, was this time produced without the aid of any team orders at Ferrari.
Australian Mark Webber has taken over on top for Red Bull after finishing sixth. He is now on 187 points, five clear of Hamilton.
“A fantastic weekend – pit stops stupendi,” Alonso was told on his triumphant slow-down lap.
“Fantastic, a fantastic weekend,” responded the Spaniard.
“One of the great wins of my career, so emotional and so special for me and for this team. For me it is there with my Spanish Grand Prix of 2006.
“Now we must enjoy it and share with the team at Maranello before we go back to work.”
Amazingly, Sebastian Vettel finished fourth after surviving early engine problems and diving in for an extraordinary 3.3 seconds pit-stop right at the end.
Fellow-German Nico Rosberg finished fifth for Mercedes, ahead of Webber, Nico Hulkenberg, of Williams, and Robert Kubica, of Renault, who was eighth.
Michael Schumacher, 41, gave his fans something to cheer after finishing ninth, having started 12th, in the second Mercedes and his former Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello was 10th for Williams.
There was drama at the start as Button made a perfect start from second on the grid and bravely held the inside line to take the lead from a slightly-sluggish Alonso going into the decisive first chicane.
But for Button’s McLaren team-mate Hamilton it was a dreadful opening lap as, after jumping from fifth to fourth, he tried to squeeze past Massa at the second chicane and banged wheels with the Ferrari.
This left him with a loose front right wheel and forced him to run off and retire at the first Lesmo where he ran into the gravel, once again a victim of his own impetuosity.
Alonso, meanwhile, kept up the pressure and cut the lead to less than a second by lap 20.
Button pitted from the lead after 36 laps, giving Alonso a lap at the front before he, too, came in, re-emerging to steal ahead of Button and set sail for a momentous victory.
Italian GP
1. Alonso (Ferrari) 1:16.24.572
2. Button (McLaren) at 2.938
3. Massa (Ferrari) 4.223
4. Vettel (Red Bull) 28.196
5. Rosberg (Mercedes) 29.942
6. Webber (Red Bull) 31.276
7. Hulkenberg (Williams) 32.812
8. Kubica (Renault) 34.028
9. Schumacher (Mercedes)44.948
10. Barrichello (Williams)1:04.213
11. Buemi (Toro Rosso) 1:05.056
12. Liuzzi (Force India) 1:06.106
13. Petrov (Renault) 1:18.919
14. De la Rosa (Sauber) 1 lap
15. Alguersuari (T. Rosso)1 lap
16. Sutil (Force India) 1 lap
17. Glock (Virgin) 2 laps
18. Kovalainen (Lotus) 2 laps
19. Yamamoto (Hispania) 2 laps
20. Di Grassi (Virgin) 2 laps
Fastest lap: Alonso, 1:24.139 (lap 52).
Next race: Singapore GP, Sept. 26.
Drivers
1. Webber 187, 2. Hamilton 182, 3. Alonso 166, 4. Button 165, 5. Vettel 163, 6. Massa 124, 7. Rosberg 112, 8. Kubica 108, 9. Schumacher 46, 10. Sutil 45, 11. Barrichello 31, 12. Kobayashi 21, 13. Petrov 19, 14. Hulkenberg 16, 15. Liuzzi (ITA) 12, 16. Buemi 7, 17. De la Rosa 6, 18. Alguersuari 4.
Constructors
1. Red Bull 350, 2. McLaren 347, 3. Ferrari 290, 4. Mercedes GP 158, 5. Renault 127, 6. Force India 57, 7. Williams 47, 8. Sauber 27, 9. Toro Rosso 11.