The performance by Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and the entire McLaren Mercedes team at the Italian Grand Prix, at what has to be one of the most atmospheric tracks in Formula One, will be remembered as a remarkable example of focus and excellence in the face of seemingly crippling off-track distraction.

Despite the open wounds in the team as a result of the crisis over the spy scandal and the bitter rivalry between their two drivers, McLaren went into Ferrari’s backyard and thrashed them with a car that was superior and a race strategy that proved better suited to the task than that of its rival.

For Alonso this was an impressive performance all round. The Spaniard got his qualifying spot-on on Saturday to shut out Hamilton with a lap to spare, then drove just like the youngest double world champion in Formula One history. Alonso is treating the remaining races of this epic season in Formula One as if his life depended on each one and his focus and determination were unmistakable as the Asturian hero drove a near-faultless race at the head of the field to keep his dream of three consecutive world titles very much on track.

Behind him Hamilton had more of a fight on his hands. He was jumped in the run to the first corner by Felipe Massa in the Ferrari as the pair hurtled towards Rettifilo, the exacting first chicane. But not for the first time this season, Hamilton showed the instincts of a true racer as he darted behind Massa’s car, then passed him despite a brief bump between the two.

Those early stages of the race then featured a big smash for David Coulthard, who broke the front wing on his Red Bull after touching Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault and careered off into the tyre barrier at the Curva Grande, which brought out the safety car. The next big casualty was the luckless Massa, who retired on lap ten when his Ferrari’s rear suspension failed.

With Massa’s teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, on a one-stop strategy but running well behind Hamilton, the Briton looked on course to finish in second place until he “flat-spotted” his tyres and had to go into the pits for a second time earlier than planned.

When he emerged, the championship leader was a couple of seconds behind the Finn and looked to be stuck. But Hamilton produced the move of the race as he slip-streamed Raikkonen and dived inside the Finn at Rettifilo to snatch back a place that he considered rightfully his. It was a breathtaking move that few, if any, of the other drivers on the grid would have attempted.

“I knew Kimi would pass me and the key was just to try and optimise my pit entry, my pit exit and my out and in-laps but I came out and I thought, ‘shoot, Kimi is too far ahead,’ ” Hamilton said. “I probably had two laps maximum out of the tyres before they would go off and he was on the harder tyre, which was a little bit better. But I managed to pull out a couple of really good laps. I had an opportunity and I had to make sure I stuck it in there and got it.”

Martin Whitmarsh, chief executive of McLaren, praised what he called Hamilton’s “skill, willpower, determination and bravery” in pulling off a “stunning move” against a formidable competitor in Raikkonen. The Finn said that he was struggling after damaging his neck during in a crash in practice on Saturday morning. “I tried to do my best but then he got too close and got past me,” Raikkonen said.

Nico Rosberg, of Williams, spent much of the early part of the race battling Jenson Button, who drove his Honda to eighth place. Biggest driver error fell to Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber, who stopped his car at an angle on his first pitstop and ended up being stationary for 17.3sec. Kubica did well to finish fifth after dropping as low as thirteenth as a result of that error.

Details from Monza

(53 laps): 1, F Alonso (Sp, McLaren Mercedes) 1hr 18min 37.806sec; 2, L Hamilton (GB, McLaren Mercedes) at 6.062sec behind; 3, K Raikkonen (Fin, Ferrari) 27.325; 4, N Heidfeld (Ger, BMW Sauber) 56.562; 5, R Kubica (Pol, BMW Sauber) 1min 0.558sec; 6, N Rosberg (Ger, Williams Toyota) 1:05.810; 7, H Kovalainen (Fin, Renault) 1:06.751; 8, J Button (GB, Honda) 1:12.168; 9, M Webber (Aus, Red Bull Renault) 1:15.879; 10, R Barrichello (Br, Honda) 1:16.958; 11, J Trulli (It, Toyota) 1:17.736; 12, G Fisichella (It, Renault); 13, A Wurz (Austria, Williams Toyota); 14, A Davidson (GB, Super Aguri Honda); 15, R Schumacher (Ger, Toyota); 16, T Sato (Japan, Super Aguri Honda); 17, V Liuzzi (It, Toro Rosso Ferrari); 18, S Vettel (Ger, Toro Rosso Ferrari); 19, A Sutil (Ger, Spyker Ferrari); 20, S Yamamoto (Japan, Spyker Ferrari) all 1 lap behind.

Retired: F Massa (Br, Ferrari) 10 laps completed; D Coulthard (GB, Red Bull Renault) 1 lap completed.

Fastest lap: Alonso 1:22.871 (lap 15).

Qualifying positions: 1, Alonso 1min 21.997sec; 2, Hamilton 1:22.360; 3, Massa 1:22.549; 4, Heidfeld 1:23.174; 5, Raikkonen 1:23.183; 6, Kubica 1:23.446; 7, Kovalainen 1:24.102; 8, Rosberg 1:24.382; 9, Trulli 1:24.555; 10, Button 1:25.165. Eliminated after second 15min session: 11, Webber 1:23.166; 12, Barrichello 1:23.176; 13, Wurz 1:23.209; 14, Davidson 1:23.274; 15, Fisichella 1:23.325; 16, Vettel 1:23.351.
Eliminated after first 15min session: 17, Sato 1:23.749; 18, Schumacher 1:23.787; 19, Liuzzi 1:23.886; 20, Coulthard 1:24.019; 21, Sutil 1:24.699; 22, Yamamoto 1:25.084.

Leading championship positions: Drivers: 1, Hamilton 92pts; 2, Alonso 89; 3, Raikkonen 74; 4, Massa 69; 5, Heidfeld 52; 6, Kubica 33; 7, Kovalainen 21; 8, Fisichella 17; 9, Wurz 13; 10, Rosberg 12; equal 11, Webber and Coulthard 8; 13, Trulli 7; 14, Schumacher 5; 15, Sato 4; 16, Button 2; 17, Vettel 1. Constructors: 1, McLaren Mercedes 166; 2, Ferrari 143; 3, BMW Sauber 86; 4, Renault 38; 5, Williams Toyota 25; 6, Red Bull Renault 16; 7, Toyota 12; 8, Super Aguri Honda 4; 9, Honda 2.

Grands Prix to come

Sept 16: Belgian (Spa-Francorchamps).
Sept 30: Japanese (Fuji).
Oct 7: Chinese (Shanghai).
Oct 21: Brazilian (Interlagos).