SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, (Reuters) – McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won a chaotic and thrilling Belgian Grand Prix to seize back the Formula One championship lead from Red Bull’s Mark Webber yesterday.
Hamilton’s victory, despite a near-miss with the barriers in the challenging conditions ranging from dry to wet, lifted him three points clear of second-placed Webber at the top of the standings with six races remaining.
“It was a great weekend, and very tough racing,” said the Briton. “It almost feels like this is my first win. It’s just phenomenal.”
The success, his third of the season, contrasted with team mate and reigning world champion Jenson Button’s misfortune on a sweet-and-sour day for the British team and their two world champions.
Button, running behind Hamilton in a McLaren one-two at the fast and flowing circuit, was shunted out of the race by Webber’s young German team mate and title rival Sebastian Vettel on the 17th of the 44 laps.
Vettel was given a drive-through penalty for causing a collision and then plunged further back through the field after tangling with Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi and puncturing his own left rear tyre.
The German ended up 15th and out of the points for the third time this year.
Webber, winner of four of the 13 races so far this season, had been on pole position but suffered a terrible start on a day where the fickle Spa weather played its hand to full effect and the safety car was twice deployed.
“Lewis deserved the win, he did a good job,” the Australian said.
Poland’s Robert Kubica finished third for Renault, losing second with a pit-stop error but still taking a morale-boosting result for a team who this time last year became embroiled in a major race-fixing scandal that led to a suspended permanent ban.
Hamilton has 182 points to Webber’s 179 and Vettel’s 151. Button is on 147.
Red Bull stay ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ standings by a single point.
