SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AFP) — Britain's Lewis Hamilton reinforced his world championship lead by claiming his fifth win of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton all but secured victory in the penultimate lap where reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen of Finland spun off the course as the pair battled the slippery road conditions prompted by a late spell of rain.
It was the 23-year-old Englishman's fifth victory of the season for McLaren and allows him to take his points tally to 80 with five races to go.
In second place was Ferrari's Felipe Massa, with German Nick Heidfeld in third place.
Massa remains second in the drivers championship table on 72 points with Poland's Robert Kubica, 58 points, taking third ahead of Raikkonen, who failed to add to his tally of 57.
Hamilton began the race in pole position but lost the lead early on after he suffered a dangerous spin only two laps into the 44-lap race.
After trailing Raikkonen by five seconds at the halfway stage the 23-year-old Englishman went on to distance his rivals for the podium as he engaged in a thrilling late duel for victory with the Finn.
Hamilton halved the gap in the closing stages of the race and kept the pressure on Raikkonen in the closing five laps.
But as the rain came on, the choice of tyres became a major issue with drivers spinning and struggling to keep their cars from crashing out.
Hamilton spun onto the grass in the penultimate lap and took the lead ahead of Raikkonen, prompting the Finn into a manoeuvre which left him spinning off the track and hitting a side wall.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
