4 things we learned from the Italian Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg trails in Lewis Hamilton's wake

If there was ever a race to tell Nico Rosberg this is just not his season, this was it. Mercedes introduced a massive update of their engine, but Rosberg had issues with his and had to run with a well-used old spec for qualifying and the race. He qualified fourth, got stuck behind Kimi Raikkonen’s slow-starting Ferrari and had to fight back through slower cars. And when he finally had the chance to push, Mercedes turned up the engine and eventually it all went bang.

It was the first DNF of the season for the German and now, with a 53-point deficit to Hamilton, the championship battle is out of his hands. Even if Rosberg wins every remaining race, Hamilton can retain the title if he finishes second every time. In fact, if Hamilton wins the next four he will take the title even if Rosberg is second in all four.

Rosberg has not won since Austria in June, and he needs to turn the tide. He lacked aggression in Hungary, and hit some bad luck in Monza. Sure, bad luck could hit Hamilton too – he hasn’t posted a DNF yet and has only once been off the podium – but the points gap between them is the biggest since Mercedes started to dominate. And surely, now, it’s too big to close.

The fact that Mercedes used up all their remaining engine development allowance to bring a major upgrade to Monza is telling - and ominous for the future.

The update was all about the combustion engine (as opposed to ERS) and is related to a development fuel produced by partners Petronas. Benefitting from fuel technology was something Ferrari and Shell did very successfully in the Schumacher era, although that was more to do with analysis and reliability than pure performance.

In this case, the combustion engine is reportedly being taken in a different direction to deliver more efficient power and driveability. And by introducing this now, Mercedes are taking a calculated gamble. Next year, there are no ‘engine development tokens’ allowed. So what you have in February is what you have all year. This is, therefore, very much a development phase engine with a view to 2016, to make sure the direction they are heading is the right one before it’s too late.

Ferrari introduced a smaller upgrade, which appeared to bring them to the level Mercedes had been at before theirs. So they’re not that far behind. But if Mercedes’ new direction works, and proves itself in the final races of 2015, then once again they will be a step ahead next year.

The patience has ended. But Red Bull could now be in a bit of a pickle. Reports suggest a termination request has been made for their Renault contract, one year early, and now they need a new partner. But Mercedes will not supply them because of a fear of competition, leaving Ferrari as their only option. To become a force once again, however, they are surely going to need to find a better solution.

Ferrari says they welcome the competition, but they’re not for a second going to supply like for like engines to a competitor. There will always be a way to keep Red Bull a little behind. Some time ago, it was rumoured Red Bull wanted to build their own engine, but unless there’s a super secret mission somewhere in Milton Keynes, that is not happening.

Not long ago, either, were there rumours of the team quitting the sport entirely due to frustration over politics and their disappointing lack of competitiveness. Both of those options must now be getting some serious thought. Meantime, the rumours that Renault will buy Lotus have not yet come true and the French manufacturer is understood to be facing a similar dilemma. Expectations are that they will go all-in and become a works team again – but rumours also persist that they could turn around and quit.

The lack of any announcement around Monza’s future is a worry for all on the Grand Prix grid. Usually, contract negotiations come to a head at races with a vitriolic hurrah confirming the continuation for another block of years. Not so at Monza. The pressure from new nations is threatening this most traditional of races and the Italian Prime Minister even visited the track to pitch into the discussion with Bernie Ecclestone. But the government aren’t about to step in and save the race.

As Sebastian Vettel said, it’s all about “s****y money reasons” but unfortunately that’s the way the world goes round. That said, F1 needs to hold onto its tradition. Imagine no more Monaco. Perhaps with Monza, though, tradition is not enough. Maybe the race needs to re-invent itself and bring in some of that Milan style and fashion to up the glitz and glamour. Make it the kind of ‘wow’ event we see in Singapore or Abu Dhabi. That’s what the F1 money-go-round is all about. But Monza is all about the fans – and to hold onto its heritage, to make it stand out of the crowd, it is that core F1 needs to retain.

"If we take this [race] away...you are basically ripping our hearts out,” said Vettel. Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa added: “When I see the podium here, people screaming and crying, we cannot lose that. This is part of our blood and we cannot lose these types of races. I really like to go to new countries, but you cannot lose something that's in your blood."

Mercedes tried to step in to support Germany before it dropped off the calendar this year. Despite insisting Monza must remain, though, Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene insisted they would not do the same. So for now, the sport can only plead with Mr Ecclestone and remind him that sometimes emotion, not money, should dictate things in life.