On lap 10 of 44, the race was halted as the red flag came out, because the barrier Magnussen crashed into needed repairing.
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“But someone took me up to the paddock club today and I said [in an interview] I might not even finish”.
Indeed the British driver had managed to go from last place to fifth by the end of lap eight at Spa-Francorchamps, but could not overhaul Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who took second place behind Rosberg.
The German had hoped to make the most of his opportunity to eek into Hamilton’s championship lead, which was 19 points heading into the grand prix.
Rosberg’s delight was reduced by his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton’s damage-limiting and thrilling drive to finish on the podium after starting from the back row of the grid.
The Australian is third in the driver standings on 151 points, with Hamilton on 232 and Rosberg on 223. “Fair play to Lewis”.
Hamilton made a clean start and rose through the field to fifth on durable medium tyres as drivers peeled off into the pits under the safety-car period prompted by Kevin Magnussen’s massive crash.
“It’s been a great weekend, very happy of course”, Rosberg said. That was because both drivers incurred a myriad of complex grid penalties for extra engine part changes this weekend. Mercifully, the Dane was able clamber out of his crumpled Renault under his own steam, but a cut to his ankle required a visit to hospital.
‘I was going full speed and I had to back off before turn five because he just turned in front of me when I tried to overtake him.
But the 18-year-old’s sluggish getaway allowed Raikkonen and Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel to pass him from the second row.
Verstappen saw things differently, saying Ferrari “ruined my race in the first bend”.
Alonso’s team-mate Jenson Button etired with a mechanical problem after just one lap, having been hit from behind by the Manor of Pascal Wehrlein at turn six.
Short-lived When racing resumed it was short-lived, after Kevin Magnussen in the Renault suffered a huge, high-speed collision going nearly straight into the barriers at the top of Eau Rouge.
The race was red-flagged after nine laps in the worst incident when Dane Kevin Magnussen crashed heavily but limped away from his wrecked Renault vehicle with only a damaged ankle.
“His only interest is to push me off the track”, Raikkonen yelled in frustration over team radio. “I woke up this morning knowing how hard it would be on these tyres, y’know, lots of blistering”.
Verstappen, who finished 11th, hit back at Raikkonen, who placed ninth. I’m defending my position and if someone doesn’t like it, it is up to them’.
‘It is good television to have someone moaning, ‘ retorted Verstappen.
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Next up on the schedule is a trip to Monza, with the Italian GP taking place next Sunday.
