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Spa-Francorchamps - McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won a typically treacherous Belgian GP, after Red Bull’s Mark Webber squandered his pole position advantage early on.
The Australian made a terrible start to the Belgian GP, running as low as seventh on the opening lap, gifting Hamilton a lead he converted to victory.
Despite inclement weather (a feature of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit) bunching the drivers together towards the end of race (as they changed to wet weather tyres) Hamilton kept his cool.
On lap 35 Hamilton’s race nearly ended as he ran wide into a corner as it started to drizzle, running over the gravel trap and missing the retaining wall by mere hairsbreadth.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who had put Williams driver Ruben Barrichello out of his 300th GP earlier in the race, spun on lap 38, damaging his front suspension and ending his race. Alonso had been the quickest driver during Friday’s soaked practise sessions.
Lap 39 saw the rain increase in intensity, with the safety car shepherding the field around the 7km Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which allowed the field to bunch and reduced Hamilton’s advantage. This placed Webber in a do-or-die position to regain the lead he had lost as the race started.
As the safety car peeled off at the end of lap 40, Hamilton and Webber were involved in a severe contest. Renault’s superb Robert Kubica trailed the leading duo into third.
Hamilton kept his composure to secure the win, with a hugely frustrated Webber left to rue his start-line maladies in second place. Kubica drove outstandingly to fend off a gutsy performance from Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in fourth.
Adrian Sutil, a recognised wet weather specialist, brought his Force India car home in a superb fifth place, ahead of the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and multiple world champion, Michael Schumacher, in sixth and seventh respectively.
Courtesy of his Belgian GP win, Hamilton now leads the world championship by a mere three points from Webber. Red Bull leads McLaren by a single point in the constructors’ race.
The Australian made a terrible start to the Belgian GP, running as low as seventh on the opening lap, gifting Hamilton a lead he converted to victory.
Despite inclement weather (a feature of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit) bunching the drivers together towards the end of race (as they changed to wet weather tyres) Hamilton kept his cool.
On lap 35 Hamilton’s race nearly ended as he ran wide into a corner as it started to drizzle, running over the gravel trap and missing the retaining wall by mere hairsbreadth.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who had put Williams driver Ruben Barrichello out of his 300th GP earlier in the race, spun on lap 38, damaging his front suspension and ending his race. Alonso had been the quickest driver during Friday’s soaked practise sessions.
Lap 39 saw the rain increase in intensity, with the safety car shepherding the field around the 7km Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which allowed the field to bunch and reduced Hamilton’s advantage. This placed Webber in a do-or-die position to regain the lead he had lost as the race started.
As the safety car peeled off at the end of lap 40, Hamilton and Webber were involved in a severe contest. Renault’s superb Robert Kubica trailed the leading duo into third.
Hamilton kept his composure to secure the win, with a hugely frustrated Webber left to rue his start-line maladies in second place. Kubica drove outstandingly to fend off a gutsy performance from Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in fourth.
Adrian Sutil, a recognised wet weather specialist, brought his Force India car home in a superb fifth place, ahead of the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and multiple world champion, Michael Schumacher, in sixth and seventh respectively.
Courtesy of his Belgian GP win, Hamilton now leads the world championship by a mere three points from Webber. Red Bull leads McLaren by a single point in the constructors’ race.