09/13/2011 04:51 pm

Hamilton Grabs Third Fastest Lap – Narrowly Misses Podium

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton wasn’t too happy with his start at the Autodromo di Monza on Sunday.

After securing the second spot on the grid, the British Formula 1™ star found himself battling German F1™  icon Michael Schumacher for third place only a few laps into the popular Italian Grand Prix.

The dual eventually cost him precious time and ultimately a place on the podium alongside Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who took the checkered flag, and McLaren teammate Jenson Button, who came in second.

Hamilton crossed the finish line merely a split second behind third-place-finisher Fernando Alonso of Team Ferrari. At the rate he had been gaining on the Italian pilot toward the end of the race, one more lap and that third place on the podium would have been his.

You could practically feel the McLaren pilot’s hunger as he put together a series of courageously fast laps as the race drew to a close, setting a number of fastest laps that culminated in the DHL Fastest Lap (1min 26.186sec) in Lap 52 – the second to the last of the Grand Prix.

The effort gave Hamilton his third Fastest Lap of the season and moves him to only two behind Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who retired early in the race after a collision damaged his vehicle. With six more races to go in the 2011 season, Lewis Hamilton may have missed the podium in Italy, but his precision performance edges him closer to Webber who looked unbeatable just two weeks ago.

Don’t miss the action as the race for the DHL Fastest Lap Award continues.

Next stop: 2011 FORMULA 1™ SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX beginning on September 23rd.

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