FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Run-off change not a deterrent – Kovy

Heikki Kovalainen believes the changes made to the run-off area at the La Source hairpin will not deter drivers from running wide in a bid to gain an advantage at the start of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Spa officials have extended and lengthened the area of artificial grass to the end of the expansive run-off area on the exit of the turn one hairpin, in an apparent move to discourage drivers from running out wide and picking up more traction for the run up the hill.

However, Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen still thinks drivers will be able to gain an advantage by going through the run-off and that officials will only be able to really clamp down on it by either installing speed bumps or issuing penalties for drivers who stray into the area.

Asked if the changes would stop being using the run-off, the Finn replied: “I think it won’t. I was surprised when I saw it.

“I think it’s going to be slightly more slippery when you join the track again, but unless they [the stewards] say very strictly that we get a penalty, I think people will go there.

“It’s just for a split second you’ll be like over the ‘ice’ if you like, you can still do it even if it’s 'ice'.

“Just lift a bit and just skate over it and go again, and potentially benefit a lot.

“I think we should get some speed bumps or something there, or just a strict rule – you go there, you get a penalty. And we won’t go there.

“I’m sure we’ll talk about it in the driver briefing.”

Kovalainen though does think the changes made to the run-off area at Les Combes have more chance of succeeding.

With the chicane at the top of the hill another that has perennially seen drivers cut the corner, a large section of grass on the inside of the turn has been been laid with asphalt and three bumps, which are similar to those used at Barcelona and Monza.

“There’s certainly a lot of the speed bumps there now and you’ve got to zig-zag past them or just run over them and see what happens!” Kovalainen said.

“That’s one option.

“They’ve added a bit of tarmac in a few other places as well, even at the exit of that corner there’s some tarmac on the right-hand side.

“We’ll see what it does. But certainly the speed bumps are quite harsh, they can damage the car and they are very uncomfortable to run over.

“So normally they work quite well – in Monza it works reasonably well – so hopefully it works here as well.”

[Smooth]

Its been a long month without Formula1 hasnt it! I have a feeling about Webber for this weekend.

Cant wait for this race at one of my favourite circuits to cap off a great weekend for myself. My bucks night Saturday, Formula1 Sunday... Most likely no work Monday

[MIKA27]

Its been a long month without Formula1 hasnt it! I have a feeling about Webber for this weekend.

Cant wait for this race at one of my favourite circuits to cap off a great weekend for myself. My bucks night Saturday, Formula1 Sunday... Most likely no work Monday

I hope your bucks night went well smooth and you're not hung over too much to watch tonights F1 race in Spa. I agree in that Webber should do well here but I think the team to watch will be Renault and Force India provided they qualify well.

Would be great for Webber to clinch the win.

Enjoy the race and congrats on the wedding!!

[MIKA27]

Grid slot penalty for Rosberg

Nico Rosberg has been handed a five-grid slot penalty for Sunday's Belgian GP after Mercedes GP were forced to change his gearbox.

Rosberg, who qualified P12 for Sunday's 44-lap grand prix, had to change gearboxes ahead of Saturday afternoon's qualifying after his team noticed a problem with his unit.

And under F1 regulations, all gearboxes have to last four races and if they don't, the driver incurs a five-grid slot penalty.

"It's not been an ideal weekend so far and knowing that we have the five place gearbox penalty, we decided to go for more of a rain set-up as it would be our only chance in the race tomorrow," said Rosberg.

"The car was generally lacking grip today but the main problem was that I had traffic on my fastest lap in Q2 with a driver staying in front of me on his in-lap for the last half of the lap.

"We'll have to see what tomorrow brings but if it rains, then we are on the right set-up."

However, he isn't the only Mercedes GP driver to have a grid slot penalty as Michael Schumacher was penalised ten places for his move on Rubens Barrichello at the previous race in Hungary.

Schumacher will start Sunday's race from 21st place on the grid.

[MIKA27]

Glock slapped with a grid slot penalty

Timo Glock has had all his hard work in Saturday's qualifying negated by a five-grid slot penalty for blocking a rival driver.

Glock managed to work his way into Q2 for only the second time this season in Belgium on Saturday, afterward praising his team for all their work in repairing his car, which he had damaged in Friday's second practice.

"A good qualifying today in which we made it through to Q2 and got the opportunity to show a little more of the team's potential and also from my side too," he said.

"The team worked incredibly hard to build an entire new car overnight following my accident yesterday.

"We always knew this would be a weekend with opportunities for the team because of the changing weather and to have such a good qualifying in such an unpredictable situation off the back of such a big task to get the car ready is a great reward for them."

However, the Virgin Racing driver was later slapped with a five-grid slot penalty for impeding Hispania's Sakon Yamamoto in Q1.

The penalty means Glock will now start Sunday's grand prix from 20th place on the grid as Michael Schumacher's penalty elevates him one place before his own drops him five.

[MIKA27]

Button caught out by the late rain

Jenson Button admits the rain once again caught him out in qualifying for the Belgian GP as he left his last set of option tyres for late in the session.

With the drivers having to contend with wet and then dry conditions in Saturday's qualifying, the final segment started on a relatively dry track, which meant slick tyres were required.

However, Button opted to start Q3 on used tyres as he put in a banker lap with the aim of using his last set of new option tyres later in the session.

That, though, is when it started to rain again, hurting the reigning World Champ's chances of qualifying any higher than fifth place.

"We only had one set of the new option tyres left, so we chose to use them for the last run in Q3," said Button.

"Unfortunately it started to rain - which we hadn't expected - and that cost me 0.3s in the first sector. It was time I managed to make up in the second and third sectors, but we're fifth.

"It's a shame because two of the cars ahead of us did their best laps at the start of Q3 when the track was at its best. We didn't have an extra set of new tyres, so we started Q3 on scrubbed options instead.

"It was a very tricky session, especially because on this asphalt it's very difficult to work out how much water is on the circuit and what the grip levels are."

The Brit, though, is adamant he can improve his position come Sunday's 44-lap grand prix.

"The performance is there in the car and I'm sure we can have a good race," he said. "I'm fifth, and although I'd have liked to be a bit higher up, that puts us in the mix."

[MIKA27]

Vettel: My own mistakes cost me

Sebastian Vettel admits it was his own mistakes that cost him a shot at pole position in Belgium on Saturday.

It was a difficult afternoon for the German driver, who was late out of the pits in Q1, which meant he was caught out in the sudden downpour and almost didn't make it through.

However, Vettel came back from his earlier woes to book his place in the final qualifying segment, with many expecting the Red Bull racer to challenge his team-mate for pole position.

But it wasn't to be as a small mistake on his part meant P4 was the best he could do.

"We had a bad start with Q1 being last out of the box. It gave us the advantage of not suffering any traffic, but then you're the one who has to face the most water on the track with dry tyres - it was tricky," said Vettel.

"Fortunately we could get a lap in on the intermediate tyres and we were safe, but you never know in these conditions. Q2 was comfortable and in Q3 it turned out that the first run was most important.

"There was a bit of rain in the first corner and my first try in Q3 wasn't good enough, simple as that. I made a couple of mistakes at the beginning of the first sector and lost momentum.

"On the last lap I made a good recovery and it was quicker than my first try, but then I went a bit sideways in Turn 14 and that was it.

"The most important thing today was that the car was very good, good enough to be ahead of everyone else. It didn't happen for me today, so we need to do it tomorrow."

[MIKA27]

A 'dream' qualifying for Lotus

Lotus Racing chief executive officer Riad Asmat hailed his team's performance as "the stuff dreams are made of"...

Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli will start Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix from their highest grid slots in Lotus' debut season of 14th and 15th.

The inclement conditions in qualifying, along with grid penalties for Mercedes duo Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, as well as Virgin's Timo Glock played their part.

But there was no disguising the delight of Asmat, standing in for owner and team principal Tony Fernandes who is absent from this race for personal reasons.

"I'm absolutely delighted, for the whole team, and for everyone who supports us around the world," said Asmat.

"We managed to get into Q2 for the second time in our first season (via Kovalainen) which is pretty fantastic by any measure.

"It's a shame Jarno didn't get in as well, but that's what happens in racing, and this is still a really good start after the summer break.

"It's important to remember that we're a small team, with limited resources, and I think what we have achieved today, and will continue to achieve, is the stuff dreams are made of."

For chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne it is now about building on Saturday's result, and potentially improving on their best showing of the season which was Kovalainen's 13th in Australia.

Gascoyne said: "We'll be in our best starting positions tomorrow and we're all looking forward to a good strong race.

"We're clearly the quickest of the new boys, and tomorrow will be all about getting Jarno up with Heikki, getting both cars across the finish line, and making good on the performance we've put in today."

MIKA: Great news for the Lotus team as well as in general for any newcommer.

[MIKA27]

Alonso: Everything still to play for

Fernando Alonso refused to let his worst qualifying performance for six races dampen his mood ahead of the Belgian GP.

After starting in the top two rows at the last five grands prix, the double World Champion had to content himself with 10th on the grid at Spa.

Alonso's position is made worse by the fact his four title rivals ahead of him in the standings are also ahead of him on the track.

Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton mirror their positions in the title race as they will start first and second, with Red Bull and McLaren team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button fourth and fifth.

Alonso, though, is not too concerned, notably as the wet weather that has blighted the last two days is due to play a part on Sunday, potentially turning the race into a lottery.

"Obviously I can't be pleased with this result, but it has to be said if there is one track where grid position is less critical than others, then it is this one," said Alonso.

"That is because of the track characteristics and because the weather can be very changeable.

"In some cases the right decision at the right time can see you make up an advantage of a minute, therefore we will have to be clever and make the most of every opportunity.

"So there's no point in making a drama over this 10th place. We must stay calm and concentrated.

"Qualifying is one thing and the race is quite another because that is when the points are given out, not today."

With Felipe Massa sixth, team principal Stefano Domenicali made it clear he was far from happy with the result.

But like Alonso, he knows the race is far different to many others due to the chances that can often arise.

"Qualifying was complicated by the changing weather conditions which might have been easy to predict from yesterday," said Domenicali.

"But having said that, clearly we failed to extract all the potential at our disposal and now we have to understand why.

"We are expecting a difficult race tomorrow when it will be important to try and make the most of every opportunity, especially as our main rivals will be starting ahead of us."

[MIKA27]

Webber: We had the better pace

Mark Webber reckons it was his flying start to the final qualifying segment that allowed him to secure his fifth pole position of the season.

Webber proved to be the man to beat in Saturday afternoon's final part of qualifying as the Red Bull racer posted a 1:45.778 on his first flying lap.

And although his rivals tried their best to beat him, a few drops of rain late in the ten minutes meant Webber was handed a perfect 34th birthday present.

"We knew the first lap was going to be pretty important because round here it is so unpredictable. The weather has been unique, even for Spa. It has been so on and off," he said.

"So to have a pretty clean qualifying was very important. The first lap I was happy with, but you never know in this company if it is enough or not.

"It was nice to be on pole halfway through (Q3) and going into second run, but the weather made it more difficult to improve on our second attempt."

However, the Aussie did come close to losing the coveted grid slot as McLaren's Lewis Hamilton put in a late charge to finish just 0.085s adrift.

Webber, though, is confident he could have found more pace of his RB6 if that had been the case.

"Lewis did a good lap on his second lap, but I think we would still have been quick enough to have a crack here."

As for Sunday's grand prix, Webber reckons the weather will play its part even though most of the big guns managed to avoid drama in Saturday's rain interrupted sessions.

"It is virtually impossible (to predict the weather. The showers that pop up here and there have no real consistency.

"This is a special venue, as we all know, tucked in the forests. Having said that, it wasn't that difficult today in terms of picking the weather, it was more of the times everyone knew they needed to do.

"It's reflected in the grid; in most people being where they should be within reason, and not too much of a mixed up position."

MIKA: Well it is a 44 lap race but already Webber has pole so thats a great start! I hope he can maximize this with a win!

[MIKA27]

Barrichello apologises to Alonso

Rubens Barrichello has said sorry to Fernando Alonso after crashing into the Ferrari driver and in doing so, putting an end to his own 300th GP.

Barrichello, who holds the record for the most grand prix starts in F1 history, was celebrating his 300th race in Belgium this weekend, determined to bag a few points on the occasion.

But it was not to be. Despite starting seventh on the grid, the Brazilian's race came to an abrupt end on lap 1 when a few drops of rain sent him hurtling into Alonso's Ferrari.

The accident forced Alonso to pit for repairs but, sadly for Barrichello, it meant an unsuccessful end to his milestone grand prix.

"Despite my experience, it was very difficult to know how wet the track was on the opening lap, but it was fully wet when I came into Blanchimont," he said.

"I was closing the door on Rosberg and when I touched the brakes, even though it was quite early, it wasn't sufficient to stop the car. The car went straight on into Alonso, for which I'm sorry.

"It's also sad for the team. We've had such a positive weekend that a good result would have been a nice conclusion.

"Despite not having a good outcome in my 300th race, I'm confident we will go well in the 301st!"

MIKA: I was really disapointed with how it all worked out on such an amazing milestone. Funny how fate works. Of all the cars and drivers, it happened to Rubens.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton happy to 'get away with it'

Lewis Hamilton concedes he was "blessed" to emerge victorious from a chaotic Belgian Grand Prix.

The McLaren started on the front row of the grid next to pole sitter Mark Webber, but an excellent start saw him pass the Red Bull driver on the first corner.

He never relinquished top spot despite the late deployment of the Safety Car and some atrocious weather conditions throughout the race. However, he did have a nervous moment close to the end when he went off the track after the team opted not to pit him immediately for intermediates.

"I am so happy, so grateful to be in this position," he is quoted on Autosport. "If you have things like that in a race like that it can be a lottery.

"To come out on top, even facing a difficult situation - and one I was blessed to get away with - I am so happy, so ecstatic.

"The conditions were really tricky when it started to rain. I was losing temperature in the tyres and not knowing how hard to push. I braked late and locked a wheel and went wide in Turn 8.

"I made it all the way out to the wall and just clipped it with the edge of my wing. I was fortunate to get away with that, it was so slippery out there - there was nothing you could do, just tip-toe around.

"Overall the team did a remarkable job this weekend, constantly pushing. In some places we were not as fast as these guys [Webber and Robert Kubica], but it's great that when we are close we can maximise it. I am so happy to be up here."

Hamilton's victory at Spa has seen him leapfrog Webber in the Drivers' standings.

[MIKA27]

Schumi: Reasonably happy with Spa result

Michael Schumacher says 'seven' seems to be his number at Spa as he achieved a P7 on his debut in 1991 and a P7 on his return on Sunday.

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit has many fond memories for Schumacher, starting with the very beginning on his Formula One career in 1991 when he shocked the world by qualifying in seventh place in his debut grand prix with Jordan.

Now, almost two decades later, it was another P7 for Schumacher in Belgium, although this time in a race, as the German came from 21st place on the grid to finish in the points on Sunday afternoon.

"I am reasonably happy with today's race, especially for the team," said the seven-time World Champion.

"Coming where Nico (Rosberg) and I started, I think we can all be pleased with the result, sixth and seventh places from 14th and 21st on the grid is not too bad, and it is important points for the Constructors' Championship.

"For some reason, the number seven is somehow connected with me in Spa, so there is a further special feeling here."

But, he concedes that "without the weather being even crazier, we could not have achieved more today in my view."

However, Schumacher's first race at Spa since coming back from retirement wasn't without incident, although most of those were between himself and his team-mate Rosberg.

"I 'met' Nico twice out on the track today," he said. "The first time, I had the better go in a nice racing duel and the second time was right after the re-start where I had to lift a little up into Eau Rouge due to the car in front which Nico used to fly past me.

"All in all, Spa turned out to be nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped for."

MIKA: It was a great drive with a great result seeing he came from way back the grid.

Shame about the last couple laps where Nico took 6th from him.

[MIKA27]

Penalty costs Alguersuari his Spa point

Jaime Alguersuari has lost his Belgian GP point after being handed a 20-second penalty for cutting a chicane in Sunday's race.

The Toro Rosso driver, who finished in the top ten for the first time since May's Spanish Grand Prix, celebrated his World Championship point in the aftermath of a trying grand prix.

"I have had a good weekend and already I was happy with my performance in qualifying yesterday while today, I had the most exciting race of my career. It was very difficult to make the right call on tyre choice," said the Spaniard.

"I think that within our team's potential, today's performance was not too bad and I am delighted to have picked up another point.

I can't wait for Monza now and the chance to put on a good show for all the people from our factory who will be there to watch the race."

However, two hours after the race had been completed, he learnt that he had been handed a 20-second penalty for cutting the Bus Stop chicane to pass Force India's Tonio Liuzzi.

The penalty means Alguersuari falls to 13th place while Liuzzi, who had finished P11, is prompted to the final points-paying position.

[MIKA27]

Sun: Williams, Lotus, Virgin, Hispania

Williams failed to shine in the wet in Spa, joining Lotus, Virgin and Hispania in failing to score a single point...

Williams:

Nico Hulkenberg: "Pretty early on in the race I had a throttle control problem which made the car very difficult to handle, so we made an unscheduled stop, but the engine died in the box and had to be re-started. As a result I dropped position and then had to cope in the rain without the full engine control, which caused some spins. We took some tyre gambles at the end to try and recover something."

Rubens Barrichello: "Despite my experience, it was very difficult to know how wet the track was on the opening lap, but it was fully wet when I came into Blanchimont. I was closing the door on Rosberg and when I touched the brakes, even though it was quite early, it wasn't sufficient to stop the car. The car went straight on into Alonso, for which I'm sorry. It's also sad for the team. We've had such a positive weekend that a good result would have been a nice conclusion. Despite not having a good outcome in my 300th race, I'm confident we will go well in the 301st!"

Lotus:

Heikki Kovalainen: "I had a bit of a problem at the start when the engine bogged down, and I activated the anti-stall, but I was already being passed by the time I could get up to speed. The rain had started and unfortunately I damaged my front wing in the last turn so I had to pit. We took a gamble with the inters but the rain stopped, so I had to come back in and I lost out to the group ahead of me. After that it was a question of doing the best job I could, and keeping us in with a chance of taking advantage of the rain at the end, and as it turned out we managed to pick up a few places at the end and finish 16th."

Jarno Trulli: It was pretty exciting out there, an eventful race where lots of things happened, but that's normal for Spa! At the start I went wide to avoid Heikki and unfortunately was overtaken by a couple of other cars. After that I was struggling a bit in the early stages with my rear tyres overheating - fortunately they came back so I could started pushing and managed to pull away from the guys behind, so that was a good stint until the rain came. I had quite a big margin over my nearest competitor so I was looking pretty good, but then the safety car came out. At the restart I was following the other cars but obviously the visibility was very poor and I made a bit of an error on a high speed corner, touched the white line with the rear end of the car and it just slipped away from me, which meant I lost places. I continued, but then the race was over from there. I'm glad we got both cars home, and it's good to see we've still got an advantage over our nearest rivals, so bring on Monza!"

Virgin:

Timo Glock: "Quite an eventful race, I have to say. I got a good start but again someone pushed me off the track and I lost two places. Then when Barrichello and Alonso had their incident I had to go wide and I went through the 50 metre board and damaged my front wing. I had to pit straight away and I lost quite a lot of time to the others. I then had to catch up to Trulli and Lucas again and at the end I took the gamble of having wet tyres which didn't pay off and the rain came just too late - I've been too unlucky in the races this year. They were difficult conditions over the weekend, which made for quite an interesting race. It paid off for us in qualifying but not in the race."

Lucas di Grassi: "A very good race overall. I'm very pleased with my drive and the team did a great job. They were very difficult driving conditions due to the weather changing so much from dry to half wet to full wet during a whole race. The team did a great job calling me at the correct moment and choosing the correct tyres. From my point of view it is very clear that Kovalainen cut the chicane at turn 5 and we have brought this to the attention of the race officials. Hopefully we will know more about this soon."

Hispania:

Sakon Yamamoto: "A lot happened in the race, where I had a good start and I could win some positions. It was difficult to push on the option tyres, so we changed on the primes. At the end of the race, the rain came back and we needed to change the tyres and played it as a gamble and changed to wets. With the low intensity in the beginning of this rain shower, the tyres got used too hard and started to grain. So, I lost a bit of performance when the rain was heavy. But I am happy and I want to thank the team for being able to finish the tough race again."

Bruno Senna: "It was a bit of an unlucky race for us unfortunately. We had a really good start, probably the best we've done. But then into the first corner it got a bit tight, they got my front wing broken. So we came in and put the intermediate tyres which we need to change back after one lap as the rain stopped. One lap later, the rear left suspension failed. So we had everything going against us today. But this is how it goes in motor racing, we just have to look forward to Monza and hopefully it will be better there."

[MIKA27]

Sun: McLaren, Red Bull, Renault, Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton claimed the victory at Spa, beating Mark Webber, Robert Kubica and Felipe Massa...

McLaren:

Lewis Hamilton: "After the DNF in Hungary, this last push in the championship couldn't have started better for me; this victory was the perfect way to bounce back. Spa is always one of the most challenging races on the calendar, and I'm ecstatic that I'm now able to tick it off and say that I've won here. At the start, I was able to pace myself and maintain the gap - every time the cars behind increased their pace, I was able to answer. Then, when the conditions changed, I had a wide moment at Turn Eight - and I was on the edge of my seat! Fortunately, I got out of it, took a step back, regained my focus, and took control again. I was so relieved to cross the line at the end of the race - it was an overwhelming feeling! I feel really sorry for Jenson, though. He did a great job. I got around Turn One, looked in my mirrors, saw him picking up places, and thought, 'That's good, that's good.' Then he got up to second, and I thought, 'That's fantastic - another opportunity for a one-two.' Then, cruelly, he was taken out through no fault of his own - which was really unfortunate for him, and for the team, because he did everything he could to get us the most points in the constructors' championship today. But he'll bounce back even stronger. It may sound an obvious thing to say, but I'll say it anyway: I love racing. It's in my blood, and I missed it so much during the summer break. So to finally get a win here at Spa - in the trickiest of conditions - is fantastic. I couldn't have done it without the team though. Without them putting in such a great effort, we wouldn't be here today. It almost feels like this is my first win - it's just phenomenal!"

Jenson Button: "It was looking really good this afternoon. I got up to second easily enough, but my left-hand front-wing endplate had been damaged on lap one, which meant I had to dial maximum angle into it, and that made the rear twitchy without giving me any more front. As a result, it was pretty tricky to keep the others behind, but I was having a good fight in the wet conditions, and I seemed to be able to find grip better than the other people around me. I was doing a decent job of keeping my position, and doing it fairly. Then, as everyone knows, I had an incident with Sebastian [Vettel]. I certainly didn't brake any earlier than usual. All I know is I suddenly felt a big bang in the sidepod, which ripped the radiator out, and then I lost drive. I've watched it on TV now, and I'd say it was a very strange incident. Clearly, he didn't do it on purpose, and I gather he's now apologised, but I have to say I've got no idea what he was doing. It's a massive blow to my world championship hopes. All I can do now is look forward to Monza. I love that track, and I'll be doing my best to score a lot of points there."

Red Bull:

Mark Webber: "The start was a mess, it wasn't ideal to lose that many positions, but fortunately it's not Monaco or Barcelona where the positions often don't change during the race. I was able to overtake a few guys on the first few laps and get some of the positions back - I knew the race would be quite long after that and to get second place was a good result. It was very challenging in the last part of the Grand Prix and it was difficult to keep the car on track. I can't believe the top three qualifiers finished on the podium with all the changing conditions! It was a good day for me. It was unfortunate for the team that we didn't get some more points, but we're still leading the Constructors' Championship and hopefully we will do in Monza."

Sebastian Vettel: "What happened, happened and we can't change it now. Obviously I'm not proud of it, I lost the car going over the bump as I was braking and unfortunately hit Jenson, so he couldn't continue. I'm sorry for him. We'll have to see what we can do at the next races."

Renault:

Robert Kubica: "This is a great result for the team after a weekend when we were competitive in every session, and we were racing with McLaren and Red Bull. Nobody was expecting us to be at this level in Spa, so I think we can be pleased with the work we have done. The conditions were very difficult at the start, and the track was damp before and after the Safety Car came out. I was running in fourth place when Button and Vettel collided, and I think I could have gone quicker than Jenson during that part of the race. When the track was clear, I was able to push to the limit and the car felt really good. Webber stopped before me to change onto the prime tyre, but the mechanics did a great job to get me out in front of him and, although it was very close up the hill after Eau Rouge, I held onto the position and then even pulled away a little bit. When the rain came again, the circuit was very slippery, but I was catching Lewis on the lap when we stopped. As I came into the pit lane, I told myself to take it easy because it was so slippery, but there were a number of controls I had to change on the steering wheel. I was distracted doing this and that was my mistake: when I looked up, it was past the braking point, I locked up the front wheels and collided with some of the mechanics - fortunately without hurting anybody. That cost me one position, but it was a race in which mistakes were very easy to make, so we can be happy that I maintained my position from the start and that our pace was very competitive."

Vitaly Petrov: "Scoring points was the target today, so it's good to finish ninth. My start was okay and I then tried to push hard and come through the field, which is what I did. The race was nice, but the conditions were very difficult and it was hard to choose which tyres to use. The team made some good decisions and I stayed a long time on the slicks, so I think we made the best of it. After my mistake yesterday in qualifying, I showed that we have the pace to always be in the top ten and I hope next time I can qualify much better so I don't have to overtake so many cars. We also had the f-duct this weekend, which gave me good speed on the straights and helped me in my battle with Rosberg, so it looks good for the coming races."

Ferrari:

Felipe Massa: "I think this is a positive result and, given the way the race went and the accidents that put Vettel and Button out of the game, we can even say we were a bit lucky. This weekend, Red Bull and McLaren were stronger than us, but we worked well as a team, making the right choices before and during the race. Our set-up was a bit more efficient in the dry, while we suffered a bit in the wet, especially in the middle sector, while in the first two we were reasonably competitive. Now we go to Monza, for our home race: we hope to do well at a track where speed and stability under braking count for a lot. We will continue to fight right to the end, even if the situation in the championship is ever more compromised."

Fernando Alonso: "The first of the seven "finals" went badly for me and for two of the other five finalists, while the remaining two got the maximum results: that means we will have to make up the ground lost today somewhere else. At the start, I immediately made up some places and the signs were that I could have a good race. Then, I found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time, when Rubens could not control his car under braking and crashed into me. I came straight back to the pits to change the tyres and to check the car was alright, when we fitted intermediate tyres, expecting more persistent and harder rain, but that was not the case. Yesterday we were hoping for rain, but when it came it was already too late to be of much use to me; on the contrary it prevented me from getting the chance to overtake the cars which would have had to stop to fit the soft tyres. Then I went off the track, when I went over a kerb and that was my race over: a shame even if the points I could have brought home would not have been a lot. It is very disappointing, because this is a bad result, but it does not mean I have given up on my chances of winning the title."

[MIKA27]

Sun: FIndia, Merc, Sauber, Toro Rosso

There were points at Spa for both Force India and Merc GP drivers as well as Kamui Kobayashi while Jaime Alguersuari lost his...

Force India:

Adrian Sutil: "Another fifth place so I am very pleased as I started in P8. I think that was the best we could do. It was very tricky conditions out there and you never knew what would happen with the weather. When the rain came it was sometimes light in places and heavy in others and I had to really concentrate to drive it home safely. Of course I was racing closely so I had to keep pushing, particularly after the safety car periods when the field bunched up, so we had some great racing and overtaking. The upgrades worked well and we can still improve - it was just the start of the development, which looks good for the next race in Monza as well."

Tonio Liuzzi: "I'm really pleased to be back in the points again this race for the first time since Canada. We've always been pushing really hard so to get a point here, and to make it a double points scoring finish for the team, is a really good reward for all the hard work we've done over the past few weeks."

Mercedes GP:

Nico Rosberg: "My rain set-up finally worked out towards the end there and I made up two places on the re-start. Sixth place today is ok and it really is the most that we could have hoped for from this weekend. Michael and I had a couple of battles out there which was fun. We respect each other and you just have to be careful and it all worked out ok. It was a good recovery today but we really need to continue to try and improve our car to have a stronger end to the season."

Michael Schumacher: "I am reasonably happy with today's race, especially for the team. Coming where Nico and I started, I think we can all be pleased with the result, sixth and seventh places from 14th and 21st on the grid is not too bad, and it is important points for the Constructors' Championship. For some reason, the number seven is somehow connected with me in Spa, so there is a further special feeling here. Without the weather being even crazier, we could not have achieved more today in my view. I 'met' Nico twice out on the track today. The first time, I had the better go in a nice racing duel and the second time was right after the re-start where I had to lift a little up into Eau Rouge due to the car in front which Nico used to fly past me. All in all, Spa turned out to be nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped for."

Sauber:

Kamui Kobayashi: "It was a very difficult race but for me everything worked out fine. The team made very good decisions in choosing the right tyres at the right time and the pit-stops went well. For parts of the race, the track conditions were changing every lap and that was not easy. Especially after yesterday's qualifying, I am very happy I made no mistakes, brought the car home and scored four more points after starting the race 17th."

Pedro de la Rosa: "I was on full Wet tyres, the rain was not heavy enough and there was not enough water on the track to stop destroying those tyres. They went off quite quickly and when I tried to catch Vitaly Petrov I made a mistake. I went into the gravel and lost two places. Nevertheless, for me it was the right move to go for full Wet tyres - we had to take our chances today."

Toro Rosso:

Jaime Alguersuari: "I have had a good weekend and already I was happy with my performance in qualifying yesterday while today, I had the most exciting race of my career. It was very difficult to make the right call on tyre choice. I think that within our team's potential, today's performance was not too bad and I am delighted to have picked up another point. I can't wait for Monza now and the chance to put on a good show for all the people from our factory who will be there to watch the race."

Sebastien Buemi: "I managed to get a very good start, but then at the first corner, someone ran into me, which cut my left rear tyre and damaged the diffuser, so I tried all sorts of things like locking the differential and changing the front wing settings to compensate, as I was oversteering a huge amount. It cost me a lot in terms of pace, because at times the car was undriveable. So unfortunately, I could not do better than this, which is a shame, as this was a race where I could have been in the hunt for points. That's racing."

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Fastest lap times: Hamilton edges Webber

Lewis Hamilton settled some nerves in the McLaren garage as he walked away with not only the Belgian GP race victory, but also the fastest lap.

McLaren were expected to do well at Spa - and at Monza in a fortnight - as their MP4-25 is well suited to the low downforce track and Hamilton made sure they got the first part of the job done.

The Brit, who started on the first row of the grid, dominated the fastest lap times in the early part of the race, but Mark Webber and Robert Kubica threatened to nab the honour from under his nose following their pit stops late in the race.

However, it was Hamilton who came out tops with a 1:49.069 which was posted 12 laps before the end. His time was three tenths better than that of the Red Bull driver while Kubica was another 0.412 down.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa set the fourth best time with a 1:50.111 and Force India's Adrian Sutil completed the top five with a 1:50.477. In fact, the five fastest laps sequence was the same as the top five finishing drivers.

Times

1. L Hamilton McLaren 1:49.069

2. M Webber Red Bull 1:49.395

3. R Kubica Renault 1:49.807

4. F Massa Ferrari 1:50.111

5. A Sutil Force India 1:50.477

6. S Vettel Red Bull 1:50.868

7. V Petrov Renault 1:51.175

8. F Alonso Ferrari 1:51.374

9. J Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1:51.576

10. N Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:51.688

11. K Kobayashi Sauber 1:51.749

12. N Hulkenberg Williams 1:51.864

13. M Schumacher Mercedes GP 1:51.914

14. T Liuzzi Force India 1:52.267

15. P de la Rosa Sauber 1:52.537

16. J Button McLaren 1:52.879

17. S Buemi Toro Rosso 1:52.966

18. J Trulli Lotus 1:55.103

19. T Glock Virgin 1:55.268

20. S Yamamoto HRT 1:55.484

21. L di Grassi Virgin 1:55.705

22. H Kovalainen Lotus 1:55.797

23. B Senna HRT 2:20.201

24. R Barrichello Williams - no time

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Webber: Soon time for Red Bull to choose

Mark Webber reckons Red Bull will soon be forced to put all their eggs in one basket and back one driver for the title, and hopefully they will choose him.

Red Bull have already had their fair share on team-mate issues this season with Webber and Sebastian Vettel crashing into each other in Turkey followed by the team seeming to favour Vettel in Britain.

The Bulls, though, have insisted throughout the Championship that they do not have a number one driver, saying Webber and Vettel will always be allowed to race.

But with Webber now holding a healthy 28-point lead over Vettel after finishing second in Sunday's Belgian GP while a dismal performance from Vettel saw him finish outside the points, the Aussie believes Red Bull will soon have to back just one man for the World title.

"McLaren have won many Championships and have a good trophy cabinet, Red Bull have a good trophy cabinet but not as good," said the 34-year-old. "I think it depends on how hungry we are to try and do that.

"I think it is too early at the moment to say that (one driver should have number one status), but maybe there is a different strategy compared to McLaren.

"It's still too early at the moment but not too far away."

McLaren could also be faced with a similar situation shortly as Belgian GP winner Hamilton is now leading the title race with 182 points. In comparison, his team-mate Jenson Button has just 147 after crashing out on Sunday afternoon.

"I think today Jenson was very unfortunate," Hamilton said of his team-mate's accident, which was by no means the reigning World Champ's fault.

"I get the same treatment as Jenson and vice versa and that enables us to both score maximum points, so I don't feel there should be any preferential treatment. The team do their best, the maximum for each of us so no more they could do."

Added to that, the 2008 World Champ insists that with 150 points still to play for, the title race is not just between himself and Webber.

"You have seen in the last few races how quickly things can change so we still have a long way to go, and many points to be grabbed by any of us drivers fighting for the Championship," said Hamilton.

"The closest rival to me at the moment in terms of points is Mark but I still think the Championship is open. We want to make sure that is not the case after another few races."

[MIKA27]

Button: What was Vettel doing?

Jenson Button has questioned Seb Vettel's driving following the "massive blow" of being shunted out of the Belgian GP by the Red Bull.

Despite carrying front-wing damage, Button was secure in second place before a mistake by Vettel saw his Red Bull slither across the track and slam into the side of the Englishman's McLaren as he approached the final chicane.

The damage was so severe that Button was forced to immediately retire from the race and although Vettel was punished with a drive-through it was of little consolation to the reigning World Champion as he considered his prospects of retaining his title.

"It was a very strange incident," Button reflected. "I don't know what he was doing."

"It's a massive blow [to his title chances]. This one hurts quite a bit."

Button's disappointment was echoed by his team boss Martin Whitmarsh, with the McLaren chief suggesting that Vettel ought to receive additional punishment.

"To me, a drive-through seemed pretty light. But I don't think the stewards have finished their work yet."

An apologetic Vettel has conceded he was at fault - he could hardly argue otherwise - but has insisted that his mistake was nothing more than a racing indicent.

"I'm sorry. It was not my intention to destroy his race or my own. I was following him closely but I braked on the bumps and lost control."

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Steering wheel tweaks distracted Kubica

Robert Kubica revealed he had become distracted by changes his was making to his car’s set-up on his steering wheel when he uncharacteristically overshot his pit box and gifted second place to Mark Webber at Spa.

The Renault driver, having been a feature throughout the top five in the newly F-duct-equipped R30 throughout the weekend, looked set to equal his season high result of second from Australia after typically keeping his head in the tricky race conditions on Sunday while some of the title contenders ran into difficulties.

But the Pole dropped to third with eight laps to go when he overshot his pit box as the leading trio came in simultaneously to switch to intermediate tyres amid a late rain shower, ending up to the right of his intended marks.

Kubica admitted afterwards he had slowed down too late after changing settings in his car as he trundled down the pit lane, expressing frustration that his one major error all afternoon had cost him a position.

“It was a good race for us,” he said.

“Of course it was very tricky and very difficult.

“The first pit stop we did a very good job – a very good in lap and the stop was very good.

“It was close with Mark [when he exited the pits] and then I actually started pulling away.

“When it was wet, Lewis went off and I was catching him quite nicely but then in the pit lane I had to change a few things on my steering wheel for the wet tyres – wing settings, stuff like this – and I got distracted a bit and when I was done with all the switches it was already too late.

“I jumped on the brakes and locked the front wheels unfortunately taking some guys [out] on my front wing. I hope they are fine.

“I lost second place there but that’s racing. Unfortunately [it was] one mistake in the race which cost one position.”

However, Kubica was keen to emphasise the positives of his and the team’s third podium finish of the season on the debut weekend of its version of the complex rear wing-stalling device.

He now hopes Renault is in line to enjoy a strong final third of the season.

“But still I think it was a great weekend,” he added.

“[The] F-duct seems to be working very well. Performance seems to be better than it was in the last races. I hope to continue in this way.”

[MIKA27]

Belgian GP photo gallery

Follow the story of the latest Spa-Francorchamps drama fest in high-quality pictures:

Webber made a terrible getaway from pole which allowed Hamilton, Kubica, Button, Vettel, Massa and Sutil to stream through before La Source

After the safety car had been called following the opening lap carnage at the Bus Stop, Vettel used the lap four restart to pick off Kubica for third

While the others jostled for position behind, Hamilton set about opening a handy advantage at the front in the greasy early conditions

Growing increasingly agitated behind Button, who was grappling with a damaged front wing, Vettel went for the jugular on lap 17 but hit a bump under braking as he jinked to the outside and got it all wrong

The Vettel impact ripped a big hole in Button's MP4-25 sidepod and dealt a big blow to his title defence

Stewards slapped Vettel with a drive-through penalty for his wayward driving and, as he came down the pit lane, an lone arms-folded McLaren mechanic made his feelings abundantly clear

Petrov, making great progress from the back of the field after his qualifying gaffe, put a great move on Rosberg at Les Combes, whose problems were compounded when team-mate Schumacher swept past as well swiping part of his W01’s front wing off

Vettel may have already crashed into Button, pitted for a new nosecone and served a drive-through penalty, but he wasn’t giving up on a points finish yet and lined up Liuzzi (for the second time) as they headed towards the Bus Stop

However, Vettel's left-rear wheel was clobbered by Liuzzi as he went through and he had to complete a full lap with a punctured tyre before he could head to the pits, again, for a change

As most runners pitted for the harder slick tyres, the Mercedes duo waited and waited for the next period of rain so they could avoid the mandatory dry tyre change and take on wets at the same time as everyone else

The weather was fine for most of the 44-lap race but, being Spa, dark clouds were never far away

The Virgins go wheel-to-wheel at the Bus Stop

As the front runners came into the pits for slicks as the rain returned, Kubica was too busy changing settings on his steering wheel and overshot his pit box. It allowed Webber to steal his hard-earned second place

Alonso, whose F10 had somehow earlier survive a lap-one assault from an out-of-control Barrichello at the Bus Stop, then threw his Ferrari off the road in the slippery closing stages after running over a wet kerb at Malmedy

The safety car came out for Alonso's stranded Ferrari and closed the pack right up again with four laps to go

The late safety car didn't rock Hamilton's composure and he collected a fully-deserving third win of 2010

Hamilton celebrates seizing the title initiative back from Webber

A lapped 15th summed up Vettel's miserable day

Kubica was still more than happy to be back on the podium despite his pit-stop clanger costing him second

Hamilton was clearly ecstatic to finally triumph at F1's most majestic venue

Could the title battle soon become a two-horse race?

Ron Dennis was on hand to help celebrate McLaren's first Spa win for five years

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James Allen's Belgian GP verdict

A fantastic grand prix, a brilliant win for Lewis Hamilton and a great recovery by pole-sitter Mark Webber after dropping to seventh place at the start.

The Australian rode his luck and picked up places cannily. Getting second place off Robert Kubica when the Pole missed his marks in the pit box during a late stop for wet tyres was a real bonus.

Okay, Webber lost the championship lead to Hamilton, but there’s nothing in it between Hamilton and Webber with six races to go, while all of their rivals lost ground today, some badly.

Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button are all some way adrift now on points, and although it could all swing back again if those three fill the Monza podium while Hamilton and Webber retire, it is starting to narrow down as a title race.

And it is fair that Webber and Hamilton should be out front as they have done the best and most consistent job this season.

Kubica has also outperformed his car this year and did very well today.

This weekend promised an exciting race right from the first practice session.

It’s strange, I’ve been coming here to Spa for 20 years and have come to expect rain, but I cannot remember weather quite like what we had this weekend.

What was odd about it was how brief the showers were and then how intense at times too.

There has always been localised weather here at Spa, so it can be dry around most of the track but wet at the Bus Stop chicane, for example; but this weather seemed almost quixotic, changing its mind soon after it started to rain.

It was just such a mini-burst that played a part in Hamilton seizing the initiative at the start.

A brief rain shower on the pit straight on the formation lap did enough to hand the advantage to Hamilton, whose car seemed all weekend to have better grip on slick tyres on a damp track.

Webber bogged down, as we have seen Red Bulls do a few times this year, and Hamilton pounced. As Webber fought to recover, he dropped to seventh.

This set the tone for the race – but there were some amazing moments of drama to follow.

At the end of the first lap, many drivers were caught out by the wet track at the Bus Stop chicane and spun. All five of the leading cars went straight on at the chicane!

Behind them Rubens Barrichello spun and smashed into Alonso, not a great way to celebrate his 300th grand prix.

Alonso was able to pit for new tyres and gambled on intermediates. But the rain did not continue and five laps later he was back in again for slicks, now well down the order.

Vettel lost control of his car under braking for the Bus Stop and as he caught it, he swerved right into Button, damaging the McLaren’s radiator.

It was game over for Jenson, but Vettel was able to continue. The drive-through penalty he received for that sent his race into a downward spiral.

Michael Schumacher had a mixed day.

On the one hand he did a great job to finish seventh from 21st on the grid, but on the other he damaged his team-mate Nico Rosberg’s car when passing him and then later on got some payback from Rosberg, who put him on the grass as he retook the place.

It was great stuff, but that’s two races in a row now where drivers have shown no fear of passing Schumacher and being tough with him. That old aura really has well and truly disappeared.

Commendations to Felipe Massa, who finished fourth, and Adrian Sutil, who underlined his reputation as a fine wet-weather and mixed conditions driver with fifth.

The Force India car was competitive this weekend and in the race it proved difficult to overtake.

Hamilton had a heart-stopping moment near the end when he went off the track at Rivage.

He was being told by his team to stay out on track as the rain came down.

Knowing how short the rain showers had been over the weekend, they didn’t want to move to intermediates too soon.

But he lost control of the car and went into the gravel trap in a manner reminiscent of China 2007, which really cost him that year’s championship.

But this time he managed to drive out and maintain the lead to the flag.

Both that incident and the way Webber was able to climb back to second from seventh show the kind of mixture of luck and quality that wins championships.

The other three aren’t out of it yet, but either Hamilton or Webber would make a worthy and appropriate champion in my view.

If Vettel and Button fall any further behind their team-mates in Monza, the championship battle will narrow to a two-horse race.

Hamilton has been the best driver this year, outperforming his car, but Webber has the faster car for the run-in to the final race.

[MIKA27]

Horner: How lucky was Lewis?

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner accused Lewis Hamilton of being the luckiest man in Belgium following his win at Spa.

Hamilton had led from the first corner through to lap 34 when the rain made a permanent return after it had flirted briefly with the track on the opening lap.

The 25-year-old suggested over the radio to his team it was time to come in to change tyres on his McLaren, only to be told not to jump the gun.

Within seconds, however, Hamilton ran wide at Rivage on a greasy surface that forced him onto the gravel, coming within inches of colliding with a barrier.

In avoiding such a skirmish, Hamilton was able to pit and maintain his lead over Mark Webber over the final few hair-raising laps to claim a third win of the season.

The victory allowed Hamilton to leapfrog Webber in the Drivers' standings, although his cushion is just three points with six grands prix remaining.

Reflecting on Hamilton's good fortune, Horner said: "How lucky was Lewis to drive in and out of the gravel again?

"Sometimes you ride your luck and he's had a bit of that this year."

Hamilton himself had suggested he "got away with it," and that "the Lord definitely had his hand over me there."

Horner was in full agreement, adding: "Definitely. If that barrier had been one metre closer he'd have been sitting watching the rest of the race from there.

"As I say, you have to ride your luck sometimes, but fair play to him he drove a good race."

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Vettel: Everything is still possible

Sebastian Vettel is adamant he can still win this year's Formula One World title despite throwing away yet more points.

For the third time this season Vettel failed to score a point as he trundled home a lowly 15th at the end of a Belgian Grand Prix that turned into a disaster for the German.

Running third behind McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the 23-year-old attacked the latter on lap 17, only to lose control of his car under braking into the bus stop chicane.

As he wrestled with his Red Bull, Vettel skewed one way then the other before spearing into the sidepod on the left-hand side of Button's car, bursting the radiator and forcing him into retirement.

It was an error scathingly criticised by McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh as "not what you would expect to see in Formula One, more reminiscent of junior formulae."

After serving a drive-through penalty, Vettel's woes were later compounded when he suffered a puncture after running over the front wing of Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi.

The tale of woe means Vettel is now 31 points behind Hamilton and 28 adrift of Webber, yet far from being downbeat, he said: "I'm holding my head up."

Assessing the title situation, Vettel added: "Let's wait and see. There are still six races to come and we have all seen how quickly things can change.

"I know I should have been on the podium at least. But everything is still possible. I can still make it happen.

"We'll have to see what we can do at the next races."

Explaining the incident with Button, Vettel added: "What happened, happened and we can't change it now.

"Obviously I'm not proud of it. I lost the car going over a bump as I was braking and unfortunately hit Jenson. I'm sorry for him."

Button, who has dropped to 35 points behind team-mate Hamilton, was naturally left cursing Vettel.

"I don't know what happened with Sebastian. I just felt a big bang in the sidepod, knocking out the radiator, and I completely lost drive," said Button.

"It was a very strange incident. I don't know what he was doing.

"He ended up in the side of my car and that was it, game over. It's a massive blow for the Championship that hurts quite a bit.

"I'm now 35 points behind the lead, which is a long way and it puts me on the back foot. I'm pretty down."