when passion drives you

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McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton survived the weather, the carnage and an off to win the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on a day many other drivers will want to forget.

The drama began early with pole-sitter Mark Webber, having a shocking start in the Red Bull as a result of a clutch problem.

This allowed Hamilton, Renault’s Robert Kubica, McLaren’s Jenson Button, Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and the Force India of Adrian Sutil to all pass, leaving the Australian in seventh position.

A brief shower on the opening lap caused low grip levels which saw many drivers run wide at the Bus Stop chicane and brought Rubens Barrichello’s 300^th Formula One Gran Prix to an abrupt end when he locked the brakes and slid into Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. While Alonso managed to recover to the pits, deciding to change to the intermediate tyre while others stayed out despite the slippery conditions, his race ended after a spin only six laps from the finish.

Up the front Hamilton was in rhythm and had a solid lead over his team-mate until third placed Vettel had a moment behind Button that saw the German spear right into the side of the Englishman’s McLaren. While Vettel managed to nurse the car back to the pits, the race was over for Button.

Kubica was holding onto second place with Webber now in third but a moment of distraction on the Renault drivers behalf resulted in a change of positions in pit lane.

Then with the finish in sight the rain came back and was getting heavier, this was the last chance for Webber to try and catch Hamilton but the Brit held on, despite an excursion through the gravel at Rivage on Lap 35, to win by 1.5 seconds.

After round thirteen, the driver standings are as follows:

1. Lewis Hamilton 182

2. Mark Webber 179

3. Sebastian Vettel 151

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Ferrari has been fined US$100,000 by the FIA following race stewards judging that they breached sporting regulations in claiming their second one-two finish for the year after Felipe Massa allowed his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, to take the win at the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. The case has now been referred to the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).

The situation arose after a dramatic start in which the pole-sitter, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, attempted to force Alonso towards the pit wall leaving Massa space to pass both drivers on the outside and take the race lead.

As the race progressed it became clear that Alonso was consistently faster than his Ferrari team-mate and, following much team radio communication, on Lap 49 at the exit of Turn Six, Massa obviously slowed to let Alonso through.

While Ferrari was puppeteering their race up front, Vettel maintained his third position with the two McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button finishing ahead of Mark Webber who’s race was tainted by an oil consumption issue in the other Red Bull.

After round eleven, the driver standings are as follows:

1. Lewis Hamilton 157

2. Jenson Button 143

3. Mark Webber 136