Nico Rosberg reduced the gap in the Formula One Championship to just two points after winning the Italian Grand Prix by over 15 seconds.

Lewis Hamilton had been leading the Championship by nine points ahead of the race and following a strong qualifying session yesterday, it seemed as if the defending champion would extend his lead on one of the calendar's most iconic tracks.

However, disaster struck for Hamilton when a slow start saw him drop to sixth and allow Rosberg and a host of other cars to overtake.

Clean air

Rosberg was left with the fortuitous position of clean air on a track of relatively few corners, and with Mercedes having the power advantage the German was able to accumulate a lengthy lead that he never lost. Hamilton battled back after his poor start to take second spot on the podium, with Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari taking third.