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Hamilton wins at Monza, takes Formula One lead from Vettel

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday with an utterly dominant drive that sent the Briton clear at the top of the Formula One world championship for the first time in a year. The triple champion, who started the last race of the European season from a record 69th career pole position, led Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas to a runaway one-two finish at Ferrari's home track. "I love it here in Italy and I love the passion of the fans," Hamilton declared on the podium jutting out over a sea of red-shirted Ferrari fans, with plenty of boos coming his way amid the cheers. "We did a great job, the team did an exceptional job this weekend," he added. "Mercedes power is definitely better than Ferrari power." Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who had led the standings since he won the Australian season-opener in March, finished third in the final race of the European season and 36.3 seconds behind the winner. Bottas was 4.4 adrift of Hamilton. "It was a difficult day, a difficult start," said Vettel. "My race was fairly isolated, we tried to keep as close as possible but we simply didn't have the pace... You could say it's a bad day but I know the team is on the right way... so I am in a very positive mood despite the numbers." Hamilton is now three points clear of the German, with seven races remaining. Mercedes are 62 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings. The first driver to win two races in a row this season, with Monza following on from Belgium a week ago, Hamilton now leads Vettel 6-4 on victories in 2017. He has 238 points to Vettel's 235. The last time Hamilton led the standings on his own was at Monza a year ago, with now-retired team mate Nico Rosberg emerging as the eventual champion. FEW THRILLS Hamilton and four-times champion Vettel were level on points this year after China in April, with one win and one second place each. If Sunday's race was a dull affair, there was at least plenty of sunshine in marked contrast to the steady rain that drenched fans and delayed qualifying for hours on Saturday. Hamilton pulled away cleanly from his historic pole, and fourth in a row at Monza, and was never challenged as he drove to the chequered flag with the minimum of fuss. It was his third Italian Grand Prix win in four years and 59th career victory – only Michael Schumacher, whose pole record he beat, can boast more – and few have been more straightforward.

Mercedes and VW battling Uber and Apple to spend billions on Nokia mapping division

Whether for autonomous driving or simply better navigation, digital mapping is closely linked with the future of motoring. The sale of a major player in that industry is spurring a showdown between automotive behemoths and tech giants, and it's a fascinating battle to watch unfold. Nokia is selling its Here mapping division, and while the company might not have the name recognition of Google, it controls about 70 percent of the auto market. The business is valued at $785 million, according to Reuters, but is likely to sell for significantly more. Case in point: Uber reportedly submitted a $3 billion bid. Apple has also been rumored to be among those interested in purchasing Here. A trio of German automotive heavyweights is mounting a challenge to Silicon Valley, though. According to Reuters speaking to two unnamed insiders, Daimler, BMW, and Audi are teaming up to submit a joint bid for an undisclosed sum. They're worried that if Here falls under the control of tech companies, then automakers might have limited availability to these vital maps in the future. Nokia bought Here for $8.1 billion in 2007, according to Reuters. The company operates a fleet of vehicles with cameras and LIDAR that drive around the world to create high-definition maps. It also generates even more information by using the GPS data from shipping and trucking companies.

Win a car while supporting a charity this holiday season

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes. See official rules on Omaze.  The leaves have fallen, there is a crispness to the air and there have already been multiple forecasts of snow, which can only mean one thing: We're coming up on Christmas. While you've been busy thinking about what kind of gifts you're going to give your loved ones, we here at Autoblog have been deciding which dream car we'd like to see in our driveway on Christmas morning. A car for Christmas does seem a bit extreme and expensive, but thanks to these Omaze sweepstakes, it doesn't have to break the bank. Here are the current sweepstakes we'd like to win this holiday season. Win a DeLorean DMC-12 - Enter at Omaze James Riswick, West Coast Editor: Let me be clear, the DeLorean is a pretty terrible car. Its speedometer doesn't even go up to the fabled 88 mph. Seriously, look at the pictures: tops out at 85. Also, who services a DeLorean? And how much would it cost to maintain one? $AlloftheMoney or just $MostoftheMoney? So owning it could be a total headache, but at least by winning one through Omaze, you'd be relieved of the financial burden of buying one in the first place. You'd also get the chance to own one of the most iconic cars of all time, one that transcends car enthusiasm and is instantly recognizable by everyone as the "Back to the Future" car. Plus, "everyone" doesn't know that the DeLorean was actually a pretty terrible car. So, I already own James Bond's car from 1995, why not Doc Brown's from 1985? Win a 2021 Bentley Bentayga V8 - Enter at Omaze Eddie Sabatini, Production Manager: Why am I choosing a +$200K Bentley SUV? Because even if I could afford one I'd never be able to wrap my head around spending money on one. So why not try to win one by donating what I can afford to a good cause? I first saw the Bentley Bentayga up close and personal at the Frankfurt Motor Show (I forget which year but I'll never forget this SUV). And although it looks like the Bentayga Omaze is offering up doesn't have the opulent tailgate setup I fell in love with when I saw it in Frankfurt, I'd still enter to win. Win a 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda - Enter at Omaze Byron Hurd, Editor: Few automotive marketing efforts stick out in my head more than the Mercedes-Benz holiday spots and magazine placements.