Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg will start from pole position, with Max Verstappen guiding his Red Bull to second.
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Formula 1: Mark Webber thought it would be a standard interview with fellow Australian Dan Ricciardo, it wasn?t the case.
Rosberg, 31, who started from his third successive pole position, led from start to finish in a 44-laps race fractured by accidents and incidents to secure his first victory in Belgium and his sixth of the season.
Re-live the action in the blog below!
“It’s been a vacation weekend”, joked Hamilton who has focused his attention this weekend on race pace rather than flat-out qualifying blasts.
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo split the Mercedes drivers following another exemplary performance.
Hulkenberg had to stay content with fourth place, his best ever F1 result, while Sergio Perez took fifth place, which ensured Force India moved ahead of Williams, taking fourth in the constructors championship.
By lap 18, Rosberg remained in control, but was aware that Hamilton had risen from 21st to third, the Englishman passing Hulkenberg on the outside on Kemmel Straight.
There was drama from the first corner as Sebastian Vettel spun and collided with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, while Kevin Magnussen was fortunate to escape a high-speed crash following a frenetic start.
“We prepared ourselves in the way we hoped to get some points, but one of my guys took me up to the Paddock Club before the race and I said “I might not finish today”, Hamilton revealed after Sunday’s eventful grand prix.
“We got the job done in the end”, Rosberg, who came seventh in the final practice session, told reporters.
“If someone had said ‘You’re going to lose 10 points and take three new engines, are you OK with that?’ I’d have said I’d take it, so I’m very happy with it”.
In addition to Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Gutierrez and Marcus Ericsson have also been handed grid penalties.
Hamilton completed just four laps in the first stage of qualifying in order to ensure he was eligible to start the race, while avoiding eating into tires that have been suffering all weekend in the intense heat at Spa.
“I just want to say a big thanks to everyone”, Hamilton said.
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“I think we’re going to see a bit of everything, then with Max being on supersoft and Kimi on soft there’s going to be a whole load of things going on so it will definitely not be an easy one”.
