Formula 1 - Belgian Grand Prix: McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton Storms to Win; Reclaims Lead from Mark Webber
Lewis Hamilton of McLaren has triumphed at this weekend’s drama-filled Belgian Grand Prix to reclaim his championship lead. The Englishman led the proceedings from beginning till end and outpaced second-placed Mark Webber by a whole 1.5 seconds at the rain-drenched Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The victory means Hamilton has now overtaken Red Bull’s Mark Webber in the battle for this year’s Drivers’ title. The McLaren man now stands at 182 points, 3 points ahead of Webber (at 179).
Prior to the Belgian Grand Prix, the fight for the 2010 Championship trophy was a five-horse race. Yet after the drama-ridden run in Belgium on Sunday, matters suddenly stand very differently. Whereas before this weekend’s run at Spa-Francorchamps, the top five contenders for the title were separated by a mere 20 points, the differences are much more marked now. Webber’s Red Bull teammate, Sebastian Vettel, stands at 151 points after failing to score in Belgium. The German driver lost out in the race after receiving a drive-through penalty for causing what was perceived to be an avoidable accident involving McLaren’s Jenson Button.
Vettel bumped into Button’s MP4-25 after losing control of the brakes, ending the Englishman’s race for good. Predictably, the McLaren man was highly disappointed over being knocked out of the run for no mistake of his own. A reasonably disheartened Button remarked that he did not know what Vettel had been trying to do when the German thrust his RB6 into the Englishman’s vehicle. Button said that the retirement had been a massive blow to his championship winning chances, and very upsetting too, considering he had been within touching distance of the championship leader prior to the Belgium saga.
Mark Webber, meanwhile, took to the tracks from pole to an atrocious start and was down to sixth by the time he had made it to the first corner. Vettel and Button’s accident clearly provided an opening for the Australian, who by the end of the afternoon managed to finish second behind Hamilton. Another one of the many drivers who will be sulking after today’s race is Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Just when it seemed that the Italian side was back in the title contention with a bang after a series of disappointing displays, the Scuderia had to stand the sight of their world championship winning driver retire from the race. Alonso’s F10 spun out of control as he left the Les Combes and the damage was too significant for the Spaniard to continue racing. Like Button and Vettel, Alonso too surprisingly failed to bag any points at the Belgian Grand Prix.
It was a disappointing day for William’s Rubens Barrichello, who was celebrating his record 300th appearance in a Grand Prix. The Brazilian had to abandon the race after running into Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari F10 on the first lap. The collision forced Fernando Alonso to take a pit stop for repairs and Barrichello had to hang his gloves for the day.
Meanwhile, Force India’s Adrian Sutil put on an impressive show to finish fifth and grab some valuable points for his team. Mercedes drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg too had productive runs, with the Germans finishing seventh and sixth respectively. Amongst others who did not manage to finish this Sunday’s race was Hispania Racing’s Bruno Senna, whose run ended when some component broke down in his car.
Hamilton was, unsurprisingly, all cheers after winning his third race of the season with great flair. Matters are now looking bright for McLaren after the team’s recent dip in form, and it seems the upgrades introduced to the MP4-25 are beginning to pay off.
Ferrari, on the other hand, have plenty of ghosts to bury after the Belgian saga. The Italian side is facing the verdict of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) this September when the body will convene to have its say over the Scuderia’s resort to team order strategy at the 2010 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim.
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