Accomplish results: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix
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Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, closing the gap to Sebastian Vettel at the top of the Formula one driver standings.
Hamilton looked convenient, surviving a late safety car period, to secure victory by the end of his 200th embark — having now won fifty eight of them.
«It`s been a strong weekend for the team and me, the team did an amazing job,» Hamilton said. «Sebastian put a superb fight on but it (winning) is what I said I was coming to do so I did it.
«I came here in one thousand nine hundred ninety six with my dad and it was our desire to be here one day so this just shows to those of you just watching that fantasies do come true and you just got to keep striving for it, believe in yourself and never give up.»
Ferrari had been certain heading into the race, believing that they would be able to run at a quicker tempo than Hamilton and Mercedes, but that failed to materialize. Even after the safety car, during which Ferrari had fitted the ultra-soft tires while Mercedes opted for the regular softs, Vettel was incapable to climb on a challenge on Hamilton.
«It was good joy,» Vettel said. «It was truly intense because every lap I was waiting for Lewis to make a mistake but he didn`t. He was most likely waiting for me to make a mistake but I didn`t so it was truly close.
«The restart I wasn`t entirely blessed. I was fearing that I wouldn`t be close enough but I was too close so I had to back out and then it`s a haul race and I was on the outside. I think we had a very good rhythm when you compare it to Silverstone, I think it`s a lot better here so we`ve made good steps forward.»
Victory sees Hamilton close the gap at the top to just seven points — meaning that a win at next weekend`s Italian Grand Prix will see him overtake Vettel in the standings.
While Vettel had been incapable to capitalize on the safety car`s late involvement, Daniel Ricciardo managed to leap Valtteri Bottas after the long haul down to Les Combes and snatch a podium finish at a Grand Prix where his Crimson Bull team had been written off before turning a wheel.
«We had pretty good rhythm mid-race and then we got the safety car so we knew we`d been given a bt of an chance and it was good to capitalize on that at the restart,» Ricciardo said. «I`m super pleased with that. We just got ourselves into a position where we could capitalize so I`m glad with that.»
Kimi Raikkonen and Bottas finished in fourth and fifth ahead of two strong spectacles from Renault`s Nico Hulkenberg and the Haas of Romain Grosjean. For eighth, Felipe Massa put behind him Saturday`s problems, climbing from his 16th-place grid slot to put a shine on William`s otherwise forgettable weekend.
Force India had again qualified both Sergio Perez inwards the top ten but the pair twice made contact — the 2nd time being the cause for the safety car intervention as Ocon`s front wing flew across the track as Perez`s tire gained a dramatic puncture. The drivers couldn`t agree who was at fault but, as a result, the team have now said that team orders will be imposed for the remainder of the season.
Ocon managed to finish in ninth with Carlos Sainz Jr. rounding out the points
Two drivers who can`t buy any luck in two thousand seventeen have been Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso and that trend continued in Belgium.
Verstappen had been running in fifth but, on just lap eight of the race, he was struck by yet another problem with his Renault power unit — causing the Dutchman to retire for a sixth time in 2017.
An incredible begin had seen Alonso as high up as seventh but the lack of power from his Honda unit witnessed him rapidly drop down the order. Incapable to climb on a defense, Alonso retired the car citing a power unit problem.
After four weeks without any Formula One activity, the Grand Prix now come thick and swift with Monza and the Italian Grand Prix in just one week’s time.
Results – F1 Belgian Grand Prix