5 things we learned from the Italian Grand Prix

05 September 2016 09:53

Nico Rosberg is now only two points adrift of Lewis Hamilton after winning the Italian Grand Prix.

Here, Press Association Sport looks back at five things we learned from the 14th round of the championship at Monza on Sunday.

BEATEN HAMILTON RETAINS HIS APPETITE

1. Hamilton may have blown the championship wide open following his poor start, but the defeat did not dampen his appetite. The world champion chomped on a number of Kinder Schoko-Bons - his chocolate of choice - as he conducted his post-race media duties. Perhaps the Briton was seeking comfort after watching Rosberg seal back-to-back victories? Indeed it appears as though we could suddenly have a title battle back on our hands. "This win is incredibly special for me and standing up there and singing with thousands of people gave me goosebumps," said Rosberg, who led a rendition of White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' with the Monza crowd as he celebrated his triumph.

PALMER FEELING THE PRESSURE AFTER TANGLE WITH NASR

2. British rookie Jolyon Palmer, who is running out of time to convince his Renault bosses that he is deserving of another season in Formula One, had some choice words for Felipe Nasr after their crash in Monza. The pair tangled on the second lap, and both retired, but Nasr was deemed at fault for the incident with the stewards slapping him with a 10-second penalty. "I was trying to take a place off Nasr but he forced me off the track," Palmer, 25, said. "I was side-by side with him but he kept coming into me until we crashed. The penalty for him is irrelevant. I think it should be a grid penalty for the next race."

TIME RUNNING OUT FOR KVYAT?

3. Russian Daniil Kvyat has endured a rather miserable time of it since he was dumped by Red Bull. And there was some suggestion in the paddock that he may not make it to the end of the season with Toro Rosso. Indeed Pierre Gasly, the 20-year-old Frenchman, hinted to Spanish television that he could be in line to replace Kvyat in Singapore. In response, Red Bull boss Dr Helmut Marko said: "Kvyat will definitely be in the Toro Rosso in Singapore. I cannot imagine that Gasly is so stupid to make these comments." Gasly later tweeted: "Better to make it clear now, never said I would replace Daniil in Singapore, just said that I hope to get my opportunity in F1 asap."

ZIKA VIRUS IS A CONCERN HEADING TO SINGAPORE

4. Formula One teams will hold further talks to determine how best to deal with the Zika virus. Last week, there were nearly 250 reported cases in Singapore - the venue for the next round of the championship - while Mexico and Brazil are also considered "high risk" countries under the government's current guidelines. Puma, who supply the kit to Red Bull, will provide the team with long-sleeved apparel, while Mercedes will also guard against the virus with extra layers of clothing. There had been some speculation that a number of Williams staff were keen to dodge the Singapore race, but a team spokesperson dismissed that suggestion on Sunday night.

BUTTON STARTS FAREWELL TOUR IN STYLE

5. Jenson Button kicked off what could be the start of his farwell tour with a decent recovery from last - after a scrappy first lap - to finish 12th. His recovery drive also included a pass on his McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso. "I'm very happy with my performance," said Button, who revealed on Saturday that he will not be racing in the sport next season. "To come through and finish 12th isn't great, but it wasn't too bad considering the first lap."

Source: PA