Italian Grand Prix: Vettel reigns in Monza

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the Italian Grand Prix at a canter on Sunday to move 53 points clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in the Formula One championship after six victories from 12 races.

The triple champion, who celebrated his 32nd career win and third at Monza, led from pole position with the possibility of rain -- which never came -- looking more of a threat than his rivals.

Alonso finished runner-up - 5.4 seconds behind - with Red Bull's Mark Webber, who is leaving Formula One at the end of the season, taking third place in his final Grand Prix on European soil to deny Ferrari's Felipe Massa a place on the podium.

Vettel now has 222 points to Alonso's 169, with Lewis Hamilton -- last year's Italian GP winner who finished ninth for Mercedes at the fastest circuit on the calendar -- on 141 with seven races remaining.

Image: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Infiniti Red Bull Racing 

Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images