However, Hamilton with this victory now has a comfortable lead in the world championship with a 53 point gap over Rosberg with the next round in Singapore just two weeks away.
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Lewis Hamilton’s left rear tyre was found to be 0.3 PSI below the specified minimum pressure on the grid ahead of the race at Monza, while Nico Rosberg’s was 1.1 PSI below the minimum.
Their statement read: “Having heard from the Technical Delegate, the Team Representatives and the Pirelli Team Tyre engineer, the Stewards have determined that the pressure in the tyres concerned were at the minimum start pressure recommended by Pirelli when they were fitted to the auto”.
The stewards’ decision meant that the result stands with Hamilton as victor and local hero four-time champion German Sebastian Vettel confirmed in second place for Ferrari – not promoted to victor, as numerous tifosi had hoped.
The team went below the minimum mandated tyre pressure, and following the conclusion of the race and ceremonies on the podium, stewards announced that there would be an investigation into the incident.
“It’s a fact that it’s a massive step in the wrong direction”, said Rosberg.
“When we got the message that there was an investigation into tyre pressures, we didn’t understand what was going on so in order to gain a little bit of a margin we asked him to push”, he said.
It has left Hamilton with a 53-point advantage with seven rounds of the 19-race championship remaining and well set to retain his title and win a third world crown.
There was confusion in the immediate aftermath when Mercedes were summoned to the stewards to explain the possibility Hamilton’s auto had been running on lower than allowed tyre pressures.
It capped a ideal weekend for the Briton who is unlikely to have sampled one as dominant as this before. “I was doing my engineering, listening to some music, just chilling.
But I won’t give up; I’ll go for it”. That gifted the final podium spot to Williams driver Felipe Massa, who finished fractionally ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Force India’s Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg were sixth and seventh with Australian Daniel Ricciardo eighth for Red Bull.
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“It’s the biggest loss I’ve had in one day throughout the whole season, so that’s very bad, and I now need to catch up a few points”.
