SPORTS
Gasly surprise Italian GP winner as Hamilton given penalty
Baku, September 7, AZERTAC
AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly claimed an unlikely victory at the Italian Grand Prix after a chaotic race which saw world champion Lewis Hamilton receive a 10-second stop-go penalty and both Ferraris fail to finish at their home circuit on Sunday, according to AP.
It was Gasly’s first-ever win in Formula One. The 24-year-old Frenchman finished 0.415 seconds ahead of McLaren driver Carlos Sainz and 3.358 ahead of Racing Point’s Lance Stroll on an entirely unexpected podium. All three drivers had never won a race and each had only one top-three finish to their name.
“This is a loss for Mercedes and the big teams, but it’s a victory for the sport. That was great entertainment today and it was fantastic to see the young guys fighting out front,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said.
Hamilton appeared on course for a comfortable victory from pole position but he was given the penalty for entering the pit lane after it closed to allow crews to clear Kevin Magnussen’s stricken car that had come to a stop nearby.