Lewis Hamilton keeps victory at the Italian Grand Prix following investigation

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who began the Italian Grand Prix in pole position, has kept his victory following a controversy into the tyre pressures on Mercedes’ cars on track. 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.

Prior to the decision being announced, there had been the possibility of Hamilton losing his title at Monza, in which case the win would have gone to Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, the 2nd place finisher at the race. Although both Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosberg’s cars were running below minimum pressure, Rosberg crashed out of the race with only a few laps to go, in what officials said was likely an oil leak in the exhaust. The back of the German’s car caught fire, and he was quickly evacuated by marshals as his car was towed off the track.

The win, and Rosberg’s retirement, mean that Hamilton now moves even further ahead of the rest of the pack in the championship standingsHe now has a 53-point lead over his closest competitor, teammate Rosberg.

Hamilton is one of only two Formula One drivers to have won the Italian Grand Prix two years in a row; the other is his compatriot, 1996 world champion Damon Hill. The race, poised for a double podium for Mercedes until the last two laps, conclued with four-time champion Vettel in second, followed by Brazilian driver Felipe Massa in third.

Drivers will now move to South Asia, with the Singapore Grand Prix up next.

Our full report of yesterday’s race as it happened here.